  We perform a single molecule force spectroscopy study to characterize the
role of the size (molecular weight) and concentration of depleting agents on
DNA condensation and on the stabilization of the double-helix structure,
showing that important features such as the threshold concentration for DNA
condensation, the force in which the melting plateau occurs and its average
length strongly depend on the depletant size chosen. Such results are
potentially important to understand how the presence of surrounding
macromolecules influences DNA stabilization inside living cells and therefore
advance in the understanding of the crowded cell environment on DNA-related
functions.
