Sauer-Budge, Alexis F.Nyamwanda, Jacqueline A.Lubensky, David K.Branton, Daniel2009-06-162003Sauer-Budge, Alexis F., Jacqueline A. Nyamwanda, David K. Lubensky, and Daniel Branton. 2003. Unzipping kinetics of double-stranded DNA in a nanopore. Physical Review Letters 90(23): 238101.0031-9007http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3109364We studied the unzipping of single molecules of double-stranded DNA by pulling one of their two strands through a narrow protein pore. Polymerase chain reaction analysis yielded the first direct proof of DNA unzipping in such a system. The time to unzip each molecule was inferred from the ionic current signature of DNA traversal. The distribution of times to unzip under various experimental conditions fit a simple kinetic model. Using this model, we estimated the enthalpy barriers to unzipping and the effective charge of a nucleotide in the pore, which was considerably smaller than previously assumed.en-USJournal Article10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.238101