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Why can supercoiled plasmid look different from linear plasmid on gel?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: Supercoiled shape changes migration

The direct answer is A: the supercoiled shape changes how the plasmid migrates through the gel. DNA has a negatively charged phosphate backbone, so it moves toward the positive electrode during agarose gel electrophoresis. However, movement is affected not only by the number of base pairs but also by the molecule's shape. A compact supercoiled plasmid can pass through the gel pores differently from a relaxed circular or linear plasmid. Consequently, different conformations of the same plasmid may form separate bands or may appear to move at different apparent sizes. Option A is correct. Option B is wrong because a supercoiled plasmid is still DNA, not protein. Option C is wrong because linear DNA also has negatively charged phosphate groups. Option D is wrong because agarose gel does have pores; those pores allow size and shape-dependent movement. The exam lesson is to distinguish plasmid forms: supercoiled, nicked or open circular, and linear forms can show different gel mobility.

Related tags

Supercoiled PlasmidGel MobilityLinear Plasmid

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