Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.
β-Cyclodextrin in DNA decompaction: An imaging approach
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
In the present work we investigate the CTAB:DNA complexes decompaction process using β-CD as a decompacting agent. The transition from globules (compacted DNA) to coils (decompacted DNA) was achieved without a coexistence region between coils and globules. This non first-order transition was investigated combining fluorescence microscopy (FM), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and TEM of negatively stained samples. Additionally the presence of multi-globular aggregates in the proximity of the critical transition was elucidated. A possible mechanism for the decompaction process was suggested.