Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mechanical Protein Functions

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.

Protein Complex Assembly

Protein Complex Assembly

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...

Protein Complex Assembly

Protein Complex Assembly

Protein Organization

Protein Organization

Protein Organization

Protein Organization

Protein Organization

Protein Organization

Proteins are polymers of amino acid residues. They are versatile and responsible for different cellular functions, including DNA replication, molecular transport, catalysis, and structural support. Proteins have a hierarchical structure comprising at least three levels of organization: primary, secondary, and tertiary structure. Some large proteins have a quaternary structure where individual protein subunits are linked together.
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence....

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Physics Determines and Evolution Shapes Basic Units of Protein Function and Allosteric Regulation.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same author

Antigen-directed single domain antibody-based TNFR1 agonists elicit preferential killing of HER2-overexpressing cancer cells.

iScience·2026

Same author

Mechanical sensing of the periodontal ligament.

Tissue & cell·2026

Same author

From Extreme Environments in Nature to Molecular and Cellular Adaptation and Functional Regulation.

Journal of molecular biology·2026

Same author

Multifunctional antibody-derived IL-12 mimetics: prospects of future clinical development.

Expert opinion on investigational drugs·2026

Same author

On the Relationship Between Protein Stability, Thermostability, and Allosteric Signaling.

Journal of molecular biology·2025

Same journal

Tomogram exploration through template matching and deep learning.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

Same journal

A comparative review of cryo-electron ptychography: Biological applications and future perspectives.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

Same journal

Metabolic disruptions through a three-dimensional genomic lens.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

Same journal

Collective variable design for biomolecular conformational dynamics.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

Same journal

Polymer scaling in protein crowding: From dilute coils to semidilute meshes.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

Same journal

Tuning the physicochemical properties of rationally designed protein-based biomolecular condensates.

Current opinion in structural biology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

Published on: July 11, 2013

Protein function machinery: from basic structural units to modulation of activity.

Igor N Berezovsky¹, Enrico Guarnera², Zejun Zheng²

¹Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01, Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences (DBS), National University of Singapore (NUS), 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117579, Singapore.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology

|November 20, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Protein structure arises from physics and evolution, with polymer chains forming functional units. This review explores protein folding, enzymatic activity, and regulation via interactions and modifications.

More Related Videos

Pulldown Assay Coupled with Co-Expression in Bacteria Cells as a Time-Efficient Tool for Testing Challenging Protein-Protein Interactions

Pulldown Assay Coupled with Co-Expression in Bacteria Cells as a Time-Efficient Tool for Testing Challenging Protein-Protein Interactions

Published on: December 23, 2022

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics

Published on: August 25, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2026

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

Published on: July 11, 2013

Pulldown Assay Coupled with Co-Expression in Bacteria Cells as a Time-Efficient Tool for Testing Challenging Protein-Protein Interactions

Pulldown Assay Coupled with Co-Expression in Bacteria Cells as a Time-Efficient Tool for Testing Challenging Protein-Protein Interactions

Published on: December 23, 2022

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics

Published on: August 25, 2022

Area of Science:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Structural Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Protein structure is shaped by physical laws and evolutionary pressures.
The polymer nature of proteins dictates fundamental structural and functional units.
Understanding protein architecture is key to biological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the hierarchy of protein structure and function.
To discuss modulators of protein function and regulation.
To assess future directions in protein science.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on protein structure and dynamics.
Analysis of evolutionary and physical constraints on protein folding.
Discussion of regulatory mechanisms including post-translational modifications.

Main Results:

Protein structure is hierarchical, built from elementary units influenced by polymer physics.
Co-translational folding, enzymatic activity, and molecular interactions are key functional aspects.
Protein dynamics are modulated by interactions, disorder-to-order transitions, and allosteric signaling.
Post-translational modifications offer intricate regulation of protein function and interactions.

Conclusions:

Protein structure and function are intricately linked to physical laws and evolutionary selection.
Modulators and post-translational modifications represent sophisticated regulatory layers.
Future advancements will integrate structural dynamics, folding, and regulatory mechanisms for a comprehensive understanding.