A model of the DNA transient orientation overshoot during gel electrophoresis

Abstract

Linear dichroism and electric birefringence measurements show that when an electric field is applied to a DNA molecule at equilibrium in an agarose gel, the isotropic molecular conformation quickly orients in the field direction, reaching first a maximum ‘‘overshoot’’ orientation before it relaxes towards a somewhat less oriented but still anisotropic steady-state conformation. We present here a simple analytical model of this overshoot effect together with numerical results from a computer simulation of gel electrophoresis. The predicted dependence of the overshoot time and orientation upon field intensity and molecular size are in good agreement with experimental results. The dynamics of the overshoot involves U-shape conformations that disappear only after the internal elastic forces completely dominate the electric forces. It is also predicted that a different overshoot regime takes place for low electric fields and small molecular sizes, and that a primary and a secondary overshoot may appear for very large molecules.