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

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion

13.4K
Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...
13.4K
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

19.3K
Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
19.3K
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

39.5K
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...
39.5K
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

28.3K
Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
28.3K
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

3.4K
Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
3.4K
Tagging and Fusion Proteins01:24

Tagging and Fusion Proteins

8.7K
Proteins are involved in several cellular processes and biochemical reactions. Analyzing a specific protein of interest requires it to be isolated from the other proteins in the cell. This is achieved by overexpressing the specific gene in a suitable host to produce large quantities of the target protein. A tag or label is recombined with the gene to produce a fusion protein containing the target protein and the tag. The tags on these fusion proteins can then be used for easy detection and...
8.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Tunable Palladium-Catalyzed [2π + 2σ] Cycloaddition/Alder-Ene Reactions of Vinylbicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with Cyclic <i>N</i>-Sulfonylimines.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Turbocharging synaptic transmission: 12 SNAREpins are required for rapid release of reconstituted synaptic vesicles.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Conformations and sequence determinants in the lipid binding of an adhesive peptide derived from Vibrio cholerae biofilms.

PLoS pathogens·2026
Same author

Synaptic transmission: Munc13 assembles onto PI(4,5)P<sub>2</sub>-rich domains into trimers that cooperate to capture vesicles.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Type IV Secretion System Drives Lipid Mixing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

NIR-triggered synergistic Photothermal therapy and type I photodynamic therapy using supramolecular porphyrin-Phthalocyanine assemblies for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

Bioorganic chemistry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
07:59

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: December 3, 2015

15.2K

A Programmable DNA Origami Platform to Organize SNAREs for Membrane Fusion.

Weiming Xu, Bhavik Nathwani1, Chenxiang Lin1

  • 1Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|March 4, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Researchers used DNA nanostructures to create uniform vesicles for studying membrane fusion. They found that just one to two pairs of SNARE proteins are sufficient to drive fast lipid mixing during fusion events.

More Related Videos

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack
07:44

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Published on: August 15, 2018

7.6K
Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
13:32

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

22.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
07:59

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: December 3, 2015

15.2K
Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack
07:44

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Published on: August 15, 2018

7.6K
Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
13:32

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

22.9K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes are crucial for membrane fusion.
  • The cooperative mechanisms of SNAREs in membrane fusion remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the minimal number of SNARE complexes required for membrane fusion.
  • To develop a platform for observing individual membrane fusion events at the single-molecule level.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized self-assembled DNA nanostructure rings to template uniform small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs).
  • Incorporated lipid-conjugated complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) tethers to facilitate direct observation of fusion.
  • Studied membrane fusion by observing individual events at low SNARE densities on supported lipid bilayers (SBL).

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that 1–2 pairs of SNAREs are sufficient to drive rapid lipid mixing after vesicle docking.
  • Enabled direct observation of individual membrane fusion events at SNARE densities as low as one pair per vesicle.
  • Confirmed the cooperative function of SNAREs at the single-event level.

Conclusions:

  • The developed DNA nanostructure platform allows precise control over vesicle formation and SNARE density for studying membrane fusion.
  • This system confirms the efficiency of minimal SNARE pairs in driving membrane fusion, providing insights into intracellular trafficking mechanisms.
  • The platform's modularity supports future investigations into more complex fusion systems involving auxiliary proteins.