Amplitude and frequency spectra of thermal fluctuations of a translocating RNA molecule

H Vocks, D Panja, GT Barkema - Journal of Physics: Condensed …, 2009 - iopscience.iop.org
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2009iopscience.iop.org
Using a combination of theory and computer simulations, we study the translocation of an
RNA molecule, pulled through a solid-state nanopore by an optical tweezer, as a method for
determining its secondary structure. The resolution with which the elements of the secondary
structure can be determined is limited by thermal fluctuations. We present a detailed study of
these thermal fluctuations, including the frequency spectrum, and show that these rule out
single-nucleotide resolution under the experimental conditions which we simulated. Two …
Abstract
Using a combination of theory and computer simulations, we study the translocation of an RNA molecule, pulled through a solid-state nanopore by an optical tweezer, as a method for determining its secondary structure. The resolution with which the elements of the secondary structure can be determined is limited by thermal fluctuations. We present a detailed study of these thermal fluctuations, including the frequency spectrum, and show that these rule out single-nucleotide resolution under the experimental conditions which we simulated. Two possible ways to improve this resolution are strongly stretching the RNA with a back-pulling voltage across the membrane, and stiffening the translocated part of the RNA by biochemical means.
iopscience.iop.org