switchSENSE Technology for Analysis of DNA Polymerase Kinetics.

The switchSENSE technology is a recent approach based on surface sensor chips for the analysis of interactions of macromolecules. The technology relies on electro-switchable DNA nanolevers tethered at one end on a gold surface via a sulfur linker and labeled with a Cy3 dye on the other end. The switchSENSE approach is effective in the determination of a large panel of biophysical parameters such as binding kinetics, dissociation constant, hydrodynamic radius, or melting temperature. In addition, it can also give access to some enzymatic data such as nuclease or polymerase activity. Here we describe a DNA polymerase assay that allows retrieving, in a single experimental set, association and dissociation rates, as well as the catalytic rate of the enzyme.