Extended Data Fig. 3: Rotational diffusion of DNA and RNA molecules.
Mean squared angular displacement (MSAD) of a 16-bp DNA (black) and a 16-bp RNA (blue) duplex is plotted versus the lag time. The MSAD values were determined from the analysis of the 500 ns angular displacement traces obtained under zero applied electric field conditions; the traces are shown in Fig. 1a. Dividing the slopes of the MSAD curves by a factor of two yields the rotational diffusion constants, D, of DNA and RNA duplexes at 288 and 273 deg2 ns–1, respectively. The corresponding rotational mobilities, μ=D/kBT, where kBT is the thermal energy, are μDNA=1.24 deg ns–1 pN–1 nm–1 and μRNA=1.17 deg ns–1 pN–1 nm–1.
