BAND BROADENING IN GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS OF DNA - MEASUREMENTS OF LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE DISPERSION COEFFICIENTS

The experimental determination of the band broadening effect during co nstant gel electrophoresis of linear DNA has been carried out using th e fluorescence recovery after photobleaching technique. The dependence of dispersion coefficients parallel (D-x) and perpendicular (D-y) to the field direction with the electric field and DNA molecular length i s presented. The variation of both coefficients can be represented on master curves. Finally, values of the ratio D-x/D-y have been found to be in good agreement with the recent development of the biased reptat ion model with fluctuations. [S1063-651X(98)01410-X].