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Related Concept Videos

Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
Force01:06

Force

Forces affect every moment of our life. Our bodies are held to the Earth by force, and they are held together by the forces of charged particles. When we open a door, walk down a street, lift a fork, or touch a baby's face, we are applying force. Our body's atoms are held together by electrical forces, and the core of an atom, called the nucleus, is held together by the strongest force known to us—nuclear force.
The study of motion is called kinematics, but kinematics only describes the way...
Mechanical Protein Functions01:58

Mechanical Protein Functions

Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force. 
Types of Forces01:09

Types of Forces

In most situations, forces can be grouped into two categories: contact forces and field forces.  Contact forces occur as a result of direct physical contact between objects. Field forces, however, act without the necessity of physical contact between objects. They depend on the presence of a "field" in the region of space surrounding the body under consideration. You can think of a field as a property of space that is detectable by the forces it exerts. Scientists think there are only four...
Genetic Screens02:46

Genetic Screens

Genetic screens are tools used to identify genes and mutations responsible for phenotypes of interest. Genetic screens help identify individuals or a group of people at risk of developing  genetic diseases and help them with early intervention, targeted therapy, and reproductive options.
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which result in visible changes...

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Measurement of Force-Sensitive Protein Dynamics in Living Cells Using a Combination of Fluorescent Techniques
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Do femtonewton forces affect genetic function? A review.

Seth Blumberg1, Matthew W Pennington, Jens-Christian Meiners

  • 1Department of Physics and Biophysics Research Division, Randall Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1120, USA. sblumber@umich.edu

Journal of Biological Physics
|August 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

DNA looping, crucial for gene expression, can be regulated by minute forces. Tension acts as a molecular switch, controlling gene regulation mechanisms like RNA polymerase motion.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Protein-mediated DNA looping is essential for gene expression.
  • Mechanical forces can disrupt DNA looping and influence gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of tension as a molecular switch in gene regulation.
  • To provide new perspectives on DNA looping mechanics in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing theory and experimental data on DNA looping.
  • Analysis of in vitro micromanipulation experiments.
  • Elaboration on the connection between DNA tension and other mechanical constraints.

Main Results:

  • Less than a piconewton of force may prevent DNA loop formation.
  • Tension can act as a molecular switch, controlling RNA polymerase (RNAP) motion.
  • A 'substrate tension switch' mechanism offers a significant force advantage.

Conclusions:

  • DNA mechanics, including tension, curvature, and supercoiling, offers a new paradigm for gene regulation.
  • Understanding these mechanical constraints is key to deciphering gene regulatory mechanisms.