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

Facilitated Diffusion01:16

Facilitated Diffusion

1.5K
The plasma membrane, a critical structure in cellular biology, houses an array of transporters, or carrier proteins, interspersed within its lipid bilayer. These proteins play a crucial role in solute transport through facilitated diffusion, a form of passive diffusion that uses transporters to move the molecules across the membrane.
In this process, substrates such as organic compounds and ions interact with a transporter on one side, triggering conformational changes in proteins that enable...
1.5K
Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane01:28

Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane

7.2K
The translocon complex situated on the ER membrane is the main gateway for the protein secretory pathway. It facilitates the transport of nascent peptides into the ER lumen and their insertion into the ER membrane.
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the...
7.2K
ABC Transporters: Exporter01:31

ABC Transporters: Exporter

6.9K
ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporter is the largest superfamily of integral membrane proteins. The transporters have transmembrane-binding domains (TMDs) and nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). The TMDs are specific to their substrates, whereas the NBDs are similar to engines that complete ATP hydrolysis to complete the substrate transport. They can be full transporters consisting of two TMDs and NBDs, half transporters with one TMD and NBD, while some encoded with a single TMD or NBD are...
6.9K
Membrane Transporters01:31

Membrane Transporters

18.7K
Transporters are essential membrane transport proteins with functions related to cell nutrition, homeostasis, communication, etc. Approximately 7% of all genes in the human genome code for transporters or transporter-related proteins.
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
18.7K
Structure of Porins01:21

Structure of Porins

4.1K
Mitochondria, chloroplasts, and gram-negative bacteria have transmembrane, beta-barrel proteins called porins to mediate the free diffusion of ions and metabolites across the membrane. Mitochondrial porin precursors contain conserved amino acid sequences called beta signals at their C-terminal. Beta signals have a  motif of PoXGXXHyXHy (Po-Polar, X-Any amino acid, G-Glycine, Hy-LargeHydrophobic), which are crucial for precursor recognition to initiate precursor assembly. Beta-barrel...
4.1K
Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport01:45

Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport

23.3K
Eukaryotic cells have different membrane-bound organelles with distinct protein requirements. The process by which proteins are targeted to a specific organelle is called protein sorting.
Protein sorting can be of two types: signal-based sorting and vesicle-based trafficking. In signal-based sorting, specific amino acid sequences called sorting signals target proteins to the proper location inside the cell either via gated transport or by protein translocation.  In gated transport, folded...
23.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Expansion, functional diversification, and gene fusion events in the Ato protein family.

iScience·2026
Same author

Cryo-EM of the eukaryotic purine transporter UapA demonstrates intramolecular and lipid regulation of transport.

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

Real-time monitoring of glycocarrier formation unravels cryptic details in glycosyl transfer.

RSC chemical biology·2026
Same author

A 60-year journey with a fungal transporter: from classical genetics to functional, structural, and evolutionary insights.

Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR·2026
Same author

VapA/Scs2 sustains polarized growth in <i>Aspergillus nidulans</i> by maintaining AP-2-mediated apical endocytosis.

Microbial cell (Graz, Austria)·2026
Same author

Stabilized D<sub>2</sub>R G protein-coupled receptor oligomers identify multi-state β-arrestin complexes.

Nature communications·2025
Same journal

TDP-43 proteinopathy as a biomarker and therapeutic target in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
Same journal

Advancing the monitoring of organelle contact sites in vitro and in vivo.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
Same journal

Mechanisms influencing transient cytoplasmic protein targeting to intracellular lipid droplets.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
Same journal

Replication associated nuclear DNA mismatch repair across kingdoms.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
Same journal

Phosphatases of regenerating liver downregulate PTEN to promote tumorigenesis.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
Same journal

Implications of Rho GTPase signaling in cancer immunotherapy.

Biochemical Society transactions·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Transmembrane Domain Oligomerization Propensity determined by ToxR Assay
06:45

Transmembrane Domain Oligomerization Propensity determined by ToxR Assay

Published on: May 26, 2011

15.7K

Transporter oligomerization: form and function.

Yilmaz Alguel1, Alexander D Cameron2, George Diallinas3

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|December 4, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Membrane transporters often form oligomers, which are crucial for their proper function, trafficking, and regulation. Studies on the nucleobase ascorbate transporter UapA highlight how dimerization impacts membrane transport.

Keywords:
integral membrane transporteroligomerizationregulation of transporter functiontraffickingtransporter function

More Related Videos

From Constructs to Crystals &#8211; Towards Structure Determination of &#946;-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins
09:55

From Constructs to Crystals – Towards Structure Determination of β-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins

Published on: July 4, 2016

14.2K
Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters
08:55

Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters

Published on: March 7, 2019

10.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Transmembrane Domain Oligomerization Propensity determined by ToxR Assay
06:45

Transmembrane Domain Oligomerization Propensity determined by ToxR Assay

Published on: May 26, 2011

15.7K
From Constructs to Crystals &#8211; Towards Structure Determination of &#946;-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins
09:55

From Constructs to Crystals – Towards Structure Determination of β-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins

Published on: July 4, 2016

14.2K
Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters
08:55

Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters

Published on: March 7, 2019

10.1K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Transporters are essential integral membrane proteins facilitating molecular transport across cell membranes.
  • Many transporters function as oligomers, where subunit association influences their biological roles.
  • Oligomerization impacts transporter membrane trafficking, functional activity, regulation, and turnover.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the significance of oligomerization in various transporter families.
  • To highlight the role of transporter oligomerization in membrane trafficking and function.
  • To present findings on the Aspergillus nidulans nucleobase ascorbate transporter (UapA) dimerization.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of well-studied transporters and transporter families.
  • Analysis of recent studies on the UapA transporter from Aspergillus nidulans.
  • Investigation into the structural and functional consequences of transporter dimerization.

Main Results:

  • Transporter oligomerization is vital for correct membrane trafficking, as exemplified by UapA.
  • The structural basis for protomer-protomer interaction influencing transporter function was elucidated for UapA.
  • Oligomerization plays diverse roles across different transporter types.

Conclusions:

  • Transporter oligomerization is a fundamental mechanism influencing protein localization, activity, and regulation.
  • Understanding transporter quaternary structure provides insights into molecular transport across membranes.
  • The UapA transporter serves as a model for studying the functional implications of dimerization in transport proteins.