Investigating Nanopore Spatial Resolution Using Locally Coated RecA-dsDNA Filaments

The translocation of molecules through nanometer-scale apertures has garnered much attention as a future sequencing method. Many challenges remain, including the high spatial and temporal resolution needed to do so. We examine the spatial limits of these measurements by translocating partially complexed~RecA nucleoprotein filaments. These are dsDNA polymerized with discrete RecA protein patches of random length, ranging from a few monomers to full coverage (average length $\sim $10 kbp). With these molecules, we use nanopores for the first time to map the location of features along the length of a single molecule. We show that resolution of less than 500 bp is achieved and discuss the implications on translocation measurements.