On artifacts in single-molecule force spectroscopy #MMPMID26540730
Cossio P; Hummer G; Szabo A
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015[Nov]; 112 (46): 14248-53 PMID26540730show ga
The response of single molecules to applied forces can be probed using atomic force microscopes and laser tweezers. In these experiments, a biomolecule is attached, for example, to a mesoscopic (approximately micron size) bead that is trapped in the focus of a laser, via a long intervening polymer. To interpret such experiments, one must know the extent that the measured data reflect the behavior of the molecule of interest. Here, we develop an analytically tractable theory that can be used to determine the influence of the pulling device (apparatus) on the measured quantities, such as the rates of conformational changes. Our theory allows one to make the appropriate corrections when necessary.