# Folding and unfolding of a triple-branch DNA molecule with four conformational states Source: [Folding and unfolding of a triple-branch DNA molecule with four conformational states]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2025-10-24T13:33:39.285Z Authors: Sandra Engel, Anna Alemany, Nuria Forns, Philipp Maass, Felix Ritort (2,3) \_\_INSTITUTION\_5\_\_ Fachbereich Physik, Universit\\"at Osnabr\\"uck, Barbarastr., (2) Departament de F\\'isica Fonamental, Facultat de F\\'isica, Universitat de Barcelona, (3) CIBER-BBN Networking center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials, Nanomedicine, Spain) Published: 2011-06-10T12:38:14.000Z ## Abstract Single-molecule experiments provide new insights into biological processes hitherto not accessible by measurements performed on bulk systems. We report on a study of the kinetics of a triple-branch DNA molecule with four conformational states by pulling experiments with optical tweezers and theoretical modelling. Three distinct force rips associated with different transitions between the conformational states are observed in the folding and unfolding trajectories. By applying transition rate theory to a free energy model of the molecule, probability distributions for the first rupture forces of the different transitions are calculated. Good agreement of the theoretical predictions with the experimental findings is achieved. Furthermore, due to our specific design of the molecule, we found a useful method to identify permanently frayed molecules by estimating the number of opened basepairs from the measured force jump values. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()