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...
DNA as a Genetic Template02:05

DNA as a Genetic Template

Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
Lagging Strand Synthesis01:59

Lagging Strand Synthesis

During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
The DNA Helix01:07

The DNA Helix

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides that wind around each other to form a spring-like structure called a double helix. However, the double helix is not perfectly symmetrical. Instead, there are regularly occurring grooves in the structure. The major groove occurs where the sugar-phosphate backbones are relatively far apart. This space...
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
The DNA Replication Fork01:02

The DNA Replication Fork

An organism’s genome needs to be duplicated in an efficient and error-free manner for its growth and survival. The replication fork is a Y-shaped active region where two strands of DNA are separated and replicated continuously. The coupling of DNA unzipping and complementary strand synthesis is a characteristic feature of a replication fork.   Organisms with small circular DNA, such as E. coli, often have a single origin of replication; therefore, they have only two replication forks, one in...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of aryl urea derivatives as novel STING inhibitors based on SN-011.

Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry·2026
Same author

Trefoil polymers from a knotted synthon.

Nature chemistry·2026
Same author

Helicity of a confined bottlebrush ring polymer.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Dual Role of Small Noncoding RNA and Hfq in Bacterial DNA Compaction: A New Perspective on Nucleoid Architecture.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Generating knotted polymer and protein structures by machine learning.

Communications chemistry·2026
Same author

Lingguizhugan Decoction Ameliorates MASLD by Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Enriching Non-12-OH Bile Acids to Activate TGR5-Mediated Thermogenesis.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA
12:05

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA

Published on: October 1, 2017

Revisiting blob theory for DNA diffusivity in slitlike confinement.

Liang Dai1, Douglas R Tree, Johan R C van der Maarel

  • 1BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 117543, Singapore.

Physical Review Letters
|May 18, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We resolved a discrepancy in polymer physics. Our new theory explains why DNA diffusivity in nanoconfinement deviates from blob theory predictions, accounting for short-chain effects.

More Related Videos

Studying DNA Looping by Single-Molecule FRET
11:27

Studying DNA Looping by Single-Molecule FRET

Published on: June 28, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA
12:05

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA

Published on: October 1, 2017

Studying DNA Looping by Single-Molecule FRET
11:27

Studying DNA Looping by Single-Molecule FRET

Published on: June 28, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Polymer physics and physical chemistry
  • Soft matter science and nanotechnology

Background:

  • Blob theory is a standard model for polymer behavior in nanoconfinement.
  • Existing models predict a diffusivity scaling exponent of 2/3 for polymers in slits.
  • Experimental data for DNA in slits show a significantly lower scaling exponent than predicted.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a new theoretical framework explaining the deviation of DNA diffusivity from blob theory predictions in nanoconfinement.
  • To investigate the role of short-length scale correlations in semiflexible polymers like DNA.
  • To reconcile theoretical predictions with experimental observations for confined polymer dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a modified polymer theory incorporating segment correlation functions.
  • Utilizing Monte Carlo simulations to validate theoretical predictions.
  • Comparing theoretical results with existing experimental data from DNA confinement studies.

Main Results:

  • The theory accurately predicts a scaling exponent less than 2/3 for DNA diffusivity in slits.
  • Short-length scale effects, related to the persistence length, significantly impact polymer dynamics but not static properties.
  • The model successfully explains the discrepancy between blob theory and experimental findings.

Conclusions:

  • The persistence length and associated short-chain correlations are critical for understanding the dynamics of semiflexible polymers in nanoconfinement.
  • The developed theory provides a unified explanation for polymer diffusivity in slits, resolving a long-standing problem.
  • This work advances the understanding of polymer physics in confined environments, with implications for nanotechnology and materials science.