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

Viral Structure00:56

Viral Structure

75.7K
Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
75.7K
Protein Complex Assembly02:41

Protein Complex Assembly

17.1K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
17.1K
Clathrin Coated Vesicles01:12

Clathrin Coated Vesicles

10.0K
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...
10.0K
Outer Layers of the Cell Envelope01:18

Outer Layers of the Cell Envelope

1.5K
The outermost layers of prokaryotic cells play a critical role in their survival, virulence, and interaction with the environment. These layers, often composed of polysaccharides, polypeptides, or proteins, form protective and adhesive structures that vary in organization and function.Capsules and Slime LayersCapsules are highly organized, tightly bound layers that firmly attach to the bacterial cell wall. Capsules are usually made of polysaccharides, though some are made of polypeptides. These...
1.5K
COP Coated Vesicles00:59

COP Coated Vesicles

18.6K
Membrane-enclosed structures called vesicles transport proteins and lipids across the cell. The vesicles derive their cargo from the plasma membrane, Golgi, ER, or endosome. Coated vesicles are spherical, protein-coated carriers with a 50–100 nm diameter that mediate bidirectional transport between the ER and the Golgi. The distribution of proteins between the ER and Golgi complex is dynamic and is maintained by different coated vesicles. Their formation is driven by the assembly of...
18.6K
DNA Packaging00:58

DNA Packaging

114.7K
Overview
114.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Modeling Reveals How Direct-Acting Antivirals Redirect HBV Capsid Assembly Pathways to Noninfectious Products.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

From toroids to helical tubules: Kirigami-inspired programmable assembly of two-periodic curved crystals from DNA origami.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Measuring multisubunit mechanics of geometrically programmed colloidal assemblies via cryo-EM multi-body refinement.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Computer Simulations Show That Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Enhances Self-Assembly.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

Achieving designed texture and flows in bulk active nematics using optimal control theory.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Disassembly of Virus-Like Particles and the Stabilizing Role of the Nucleic Acid Cargo.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2025
Same journal

The exquisite mechanics of a tsetse bite.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Distinct involvements of the subthalamic nucleus subpopulations in reward-biased decision-making in monkeys.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Pink1-mediated mitophagy in the endothelium releases proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA and activates neutrophil responses during inflammation.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Restraint of melanoma progression by cells in the local skin environment.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Brawn before bite in endemic Asian eutherian mammals after the end-Cretaceous extinction.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Experimental evolution to thermal stress indicates climate resilience in a cosmopolitan arthropod.

eLife·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: Tackling Challenges in Synthetic Cell Engineering
10:56

Author Spotlight: Tackling Challenges in Synthetic Cell Engineering

Published on: April 12, 2024

1.8K

Many-molecule encapsulation by an icosahedral shell.

Jason D Perlmutter1, Farzaneh Mohajerani1, Michael F Hagan1

  • 1Martin Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States.

Elife
|May 12, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Computational models reveal two pathways for icosahedral shell assembly around cellular cargo, like carboxysomes. These findings on protein shell formation and cargo encapsulation could inform the design of self-assembling nanoreactors.

Keywords:
E. colibacterial microcompartmentbiophysicscarboxysomecomputational biologyself-assemblysimulationstructural biologysystems biologyviral capsidvirus

More Related Videos

Preparation of Giant Vesicles Encapsulating Microspheres by Centrifugation of a Water-in-oil Emulsion
05:43

Preparation of Giant Vesicles Encapsulating Microspheres by Centrifugation of a Water-in-oil Emulsion

Published on: January 24, 2017

15.3K
Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids
10:51

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids

Published on: October 13, 2021

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: Tackling Challenges in Synthetic Cell Engineering
10:56

Author Spotlight: Tackling Challenges in Synthetic Cell Engineering

Published on: April 12, 2024

1.8K
Preparation of Giant Vesicles Encapsulating Microspheres by Centrifugation of a Water-in-oil Emulsion
05:43

Preparation of Giant Vesicles Encapsulating Microspheres by Centrifugation of a Water-in-oil Emulsion

Published on: January 24, 2017

15.3K
Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids
10:51

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids

Published on: October 13, 2021

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments essential for carbon fixation in cyanobacteria.
  • Their formation involves the assembly of an icosahedral protein shell around enzyme cargo.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To computationally investigate the assembly mechanisms of icosahedral shells around multi-molecule cargoes.
  • To identify distinct assembly pathways and critical parameters influencing microcompartment formation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized computational simulations to model the self-assembly process.
  • Analyzed two classes of assembly pathways: concomitant cargo condensation and shell assembly, or pre-condensation of cargo followed by shell budding.

Main Results:

  • Identified two distinct pathways for shell assembly and cargo encapsulation.
  • Simulations predicted novel intermediates and closure mechanisms beyond experimental reach.
  • Demonstrated that assembly pathways can be modulated by altering protein interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Elucidated key assembly pathways and control parameters for bacterial microcompartment formation.
  • Results provide insights into self-assembly principles applicable to engineering viral nanoreactors for biocatalysis.