Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 9.2
Approaches to induce partial molecular alignment using (A) ordering
media such as Pf1 phage (shown in grey), which transmits order through
a combination of steric and electrostatic mechanisms, and (B) magnetic
field alignment due to the constructive addition of anisotropic magnetic
susceptibility tensors (x) in the nucleobases.
closely,
making
it
difficult
to
independently
alter
shape
and
electrostatic
contributions to alignment.
The development of methods to modulate nucleic acid alignment is of key
importance in enabling the extraction of the full dynamics information
contained within RDCs and also in increasing the data density to allow robust
cross-validation of any generated dynamic models. We can identify two
avenues to achieve independent alignment of nucleic acids. First, magnetic
field alignment, discussed below, has been shown to yield distinct alignments
as compared to ordering media.
76,77
Second, the systematic elongation of RNA
terminal helices, which affords a change in the shape of the solute, has also
been shown to modulate the overall alignment of an RNA molecule.
78
