Direct precise measurement of the stall torque of the flagellar motor in E. coli

The flagellar motor drives the rotation of flagellar filaments, propeling the swimming of flagellated bacteria. The maximum torque the motor generates, the stall torque, is a key characteristics of the motor function. Direct measurements of the stall torque carried out three decades ago suffered from large experimental uncertainties, and subsequently there were only indirect measurements. Here, we applied magnetic tweezer to directly measure the stall torque in E. coli. We precisely calibrated the torsional stiffness of the magnetic tweezer, and performed motor resurrection experiments at stall, accomplishing a precise determination of the stall torque per torque-generating unit (stator unit). From our measurements, each stator passes 2 protons per step, indicating a tight coupling between motor rotation and proton flux.

High-yield purification of exceptional-quality, single-molecule DNA substrates

Single-molecule studies involving DNA or RNA, require homogeneous preparations of nucleic acid substrates of exceptional quality. Over the past several years, a variety of methods have been published describing different purification methods but these are frustratingly inconsistent with variable yields even in the hands of experienced bench scientists. To address these issues, we present an optimized and straightforward, column-based approach that is reproducible and produces high yields of substrates or substrate components of exceptional quality. Central to the success of the method presented is the use of a non-porous anion exchange resin. In addition to the use of this resin, we encourage the optimization of each step in the construction of substrates. The fully optimized method produces high yields of a hairpin DNA substrate of exceptional quality. While this substrate is suitable for single-molecule, magnetic tweezer experiments, the described method is readily adaptable to the production of DNA substrates for the majority of single-molecule studies involving nucleic acids ranging in size from 70–15000 bp.

Detection of genetic variation and base modifications at base-pair resolution on both DNA and RNA

Accurate decoding of nucleic acid variation is critical to understand the complexity and regulation of genome function. Here we use a single-molecule magnetic tweezer (MT) platform to identify sequence variation and map a range of important epigenetic base modifications with high sensitivity, specificity, and precision in the same single molecules of DNA or RNA. We have also developed a highly specific amplification-free CRISPR-Cas enrichment strategy to isolate genomic regions from native DNA. We demonstrate enrichment of DNA from both E. coli and the FMR1 5’UTR coming from cells derived from a Fragile X carrier. From these kilobase-length enriched molecules we could characterize the differential levels of adenine and cytosine base modifications on E. coli, and the repeat expansion length and methylation status of FMR1. Together these results demonstrate that our platform can detect a variety of genetic, epigenetic, and base modification changes concomitantly within the same single molecules.

Designed Anchoring Geometries Determine Lifetimes of Biotin-Streptavidin Bonds under Constant Load and Enable Ultra-Stable Coupling

The small molecule biotin and the homotetrameric protein streptavidin (SA) form a stable and robust complex that plays a pivotal role in many biotechnological and medical applications. In particular, the biotin-streptavidin linkage is frequently used in single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) experiments. Recent data suggest that biotin-streptavidin bonds show strong directional dependence and a broad range of multi-exponential lifetimes under load. Here, we investigate engineered SA variants with different valencies and a unique tethering point under constant forces using a magnetic tweezer assay. We observed two orders-of-magnitude differences in the lifetimes, which we attribute to the distinct force loading geometries in the different SA variants. We identified an especially long-lived tethering geometry that will facilitate ultra-stable SMFS experiments and pave the way for new biotechnological applications.

Detecting genetic variation and base modifications together in the same single molecules of DNA and RNA at base pair resolution using a magnetic tweezer platform

Accurate decoding of nucleic acid variation is important to understand the complexity and regulation of genome function. Here we introduce a single-molecule platform based on magnetic tweezer (MT) technology that can identify and map the positions of sequence variation and multiple base modifications together in the same single molecules of DNA or RNA at single base resolution. Using synthetic templates, we demonstrate that our method can distinguish the most common epigenetic marks on DNA and RNA with high sensitivity, specificity and precision. We also developed a highly specific CRISPR-Cas enrichment strategy to target genomic regions in native DNA without amplification. We then used this method to enrich native DNA from E. coli and characterized the differential levels of adenine and cytosine base modifications together in molecules of up to 5 kb in length. Finally, we enriched the 5‘UTR of FMR1 from cells derived from a Fragile X carrier and precisely measured the repeat expansion length and methylation status of each molecule. These results demonstrate that our platform can detect a variety of genetic, epigenetic and base modification changes concomitantly within the same single molecules.

High-force magnetic tweezers with hysteresis-free force feedback

ABSTRACTMagnetic tweezers based on solenoids with iron alloy cores are widely used to apply large forces (~100 nN) onto micron-sized (~5 μm) superparamagnetic particles for mechanical manipulation or microrheological measurements at the cellular and molecular level. The precision of magnetic tweezers, however, is limited by the magnetic hysteresis of the core material, especially for time-varying force protocols. Here, we eliminate magnetic hysteresis by a feedback control of the magnetic induction, which we measure with a Hall sensor mounted to the distal end of the solenoid core. We find that the generated force depends on the induction according to a power-law relationship, and on the bead-tip distance according to a stretched exponential relationship. Together, both relationships allow for an accurate force calibration and precise force feedback with only 3 calibration parameters. We apply our method to measure the force-dependence of the viscoelastic and plastic properties of fibroblasts using a protocol with stepwise increasing and decreasing forces. We find that soft cells show an increasing stiffness but decreasing plasticity at higher forces, indicating a pronounced stress stiffening of the cytoskeleton. By contrast, stiff cells show no stress stiffening but an increasing plasticity at higher forces. These findings indicate profound differences between soft and stiff cells regarding their protection mechanisms against external mechanical stress. In summary, our method increases the precision, simplifies the handling and extends the applicability of magnetic tweezers.SIGNIFICANCEMagnetic tweezers are widely used, versatile tools to investigate the mechanical behavior of cells or to measure the strength of receptor-ligand bonds. A limitation of existing high-force magnetic tweezer setups, however, is caused by the magnetic hysteresis of the tweezer core material. This magnetic hysteresis requires that the tweezer core must be de-magnetized (de-Gaussed) prior to each measurement, and that flexible force protocols with decreasing forces are not possible. We describe how these limitations can be overcome with a force feedback though direct magnetic field measurement. We demonstrate the applicability of our setup by investigating the visco-elastic and plastic deformations of fibroblasts to forces of different amplitudes.