Mechanical Properties of Partially Degraded Kinetoplast DNA*

Kinetoplasts are planar, sheet-like objects formed by linked-rings of DNA to form a chainmail-like sheet that are found in the mitochondria of trypanosome parasites. The study of kinetoplasts offers a practical way to probe two-dimensional materials because the planar topology of kinetoplasts causes them to behave like two-dimensional elastic sheet, and thus can serve as a model for two-dimensional polymer systems that are difficult to otherwise synthesize . In order to explore the mechanical properties of these systems, we broke down kinetoplasts using restrictions enzymes in order to form partially-degraded kinetoplasts. Using microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy, we examine the equilibrium behavior and elastic response of the degraded structures on both sides of the percolation threshold.