Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
Clathrin Coated Vesicles01:12

Clathrin Coated Vesicles

Clathrin-coated vesicles use endocytosis to transport receptors and lysosomal hydrolases from the Golgi to the lysosome in the late secretory pathway. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the first described endocytic process, and Clathrin-coated vesicles remain one of the most well-studied transport vesicles. The molecular machinery that generates clathrin-coated vesicles comprises over 50 proteins that precisely coordinate vesicle formation. Cell surface receptors concentrated in indented sites...
Clamper Circuit01:14

Clamper Circuit

A clamper circuit, also known as a DC restorer, represents a specialized variant of the rectifier circuit, notable for its method of taking the output across the diode rather than the capacitor. This configuration lends to several distinctive applications, particularly in handling square wave inputs.
Within this circuit, the diode's orientation prompts the capacitor to charge up to the level of the most negative peak of the input signal. Upon reaching this state, the diode ceases to conduct,...
Patch Clamp01:18

Patch Clamp

Many fundamental cell functions such as muscle contraction and nerve transmission rely on the electrical signals produced by the movement of positively and negatively charged ions across the cell membrane. One competent method to record current flowing across the whole cell or single ion channel is the patch-clamp technique.
In this method, a glass micropipette containing electrolyte solution is tightly sealed against a small portion of the cell membrane. As a result, a patch of the cell...
Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles01:32

Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles

Vesicle budding is orchestrated by distinct cytosolic proteins such as adaptor proteins, coat proteins, and GTPases. To initiate vesicle budding, membrane-bending proteins containing crescent-shaped BAR domains bind to the lipid heads in the bilayer and distort the membrane to form a protein-coated vesicle bud. Adaptors proteins such as AP2 for clathrin-coated vesicles can nucleate on the deformed membrane. Finally, coat proteins such as clathrin or COPI and COPII assemble into a coat forming...
Load-frequency control01:28

Load-frequency control

Load-frequency control (LFC) is vital for maintaining power system stability, ensuring that frequency and power flows remain within acceptable limits during load changes. Turbine-governor control eliminates rotor accelerations and decelerations following load changes. However, a steady-state frequency error persists when the change in the turbine-governor reference setting is zero. In an interconnected power system, each area agrees to export or import a scheduled amount of power through...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The E. coli DnaX clamp loader sharply bends DNA to load β-clamp at nicks and small gaps.

Molecular cell·2026
Same author

The <i>E. coli</i> DnaX clamp loader sharply bends DNA to load β-clamp at nicks and small gaps.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A non-catalytic role for RFC in PCNA-mediated processive DNA synthesis.

Cell·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Structures of the human leading strand Polε-PCNA holoenzyme.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

Structures of the human leading strand Polε-PCNA holoenzyme.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

Mechanism of PCNA loading by Ctf18-RFC for leading-strand DNA synthesis.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2024
Same journal

Future Directions in Biotechnological and Pharmacological Applications of CAIs.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Industrial and Environmental Applications of Carbonic Anhydrases.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Applications of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Arthritis, Neuropathic Pain, Acute Mountain Sickness, and Cerebral Ischemia.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Applications of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Neurological Disorders, Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Oncology.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Therapeutic Applications of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Ophthalmology.

Sub-cellular biochemistry·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

In vivo and in vitro Studies of Adaptor-clathrin Interaction
17:14

In vivo and in vitro Studies of Adaptor-clathrin Interaction

Published on: January 26, 2011

The RFC clamp loader: structure and function.

Nina Y Yao1, Mike O'Donnell

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA, yaon@rockefeller.edu.

Sub-Cellular Biochemistry
|August 25, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The RFC clamp loader uses ATP to open and close the PCNA sliding clamp, facilitating DNA replication and repair. Structural insights reveal its mechanism for DNA binding and PCNA interaction.

More Related Videos

Monitoring Protein-RNA Interaction Dynamics In Vivo at High Temporal Resolution Using &#967;CRAC
09:15

Monitoring Protein-RNA Interaction Dynamics In Vivo at High Temporal Resolution Using χCRAC

Published on: May 9, 2020

Bilayer Microfluidic Device for Combinatorial Plug Production
07:03

Bilayer Microfluidic Device for Combinatorial Plug Production

Published on: December 1, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

In vivo and in vitro Studies of Adaptor-clathrin Interaction
17:14

In vivo and in vitro Studies of Adaptor-clathrin Interaction

Published on: January 26, 2011

Monitoring Protein-RNA Interaction Dynamics In Vivo at High Temporal Resolution Using &#967;CRAC
09:15

Monitoring Protein-RNA Interaction Dynamics In Vivo at High Temporal Resolution Using χCRAC

Published on: May 9, 2020

Bilayer Microfluidic Device for Combinatorial Plug Production
07:03

Bilayer Microfluidic Device for Combinatorial Plug Production

Published on: December 1, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The RFC clamp loader is essential for DNA replication and repair in eukaryotes.
  • It functions by loading the PCNA sliding clamp onto DNA.
  • RFC is a heteropentameric complex with subunits homologous to AAA+ proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structural mechanism of the eukaryotic RFC clamp loader.
  • To understand how RFC interacts with PCNA and DNA.
  • To detail the role of ATP hydrolysis in the clamp loading process.

Main Methods:

  • Structural studies of the RFC complex.
  • Analysis of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions.
  • Biochemical assays to study ATP hydrolysis and clamp loading.

Main Results:

  • RFC forms a right-handed spiral upon ATP binding, creating a central DNA binding site.
  • DNA enters RFC through a gap between AAA+ domains, with specificity determined by a DNA-blocking domain.
  • PCNA clamp opening requires RFC binding, and ATP hydrolysis drives clamp closing and RFC ejection.

Conclusions:

  • RFC utilizes a unique structural mechanism involving ATP-dependent conformational changes to load PCNA.
  • The structure explains the specificity for primed DNA sites and the interaction with the PCNA clamp.
  • This provides a molecular understanding of a critical step in DNA replication and repair.