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

Ligand Binding and Linkage

Ligand Binding and Linkage

Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked. In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence...

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

The equilibrium binding constant (Kb) quantifies the strength of a protein-ligand interaction. Kb can be calculated as follows when the reaction is at equilibrium:

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

What is Genetic Engineering?

What is Genetic Engineering?

Ligand Binding Sites

Ligand Binding Sites

Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...

Conserved Binding Sites

Conserved Binding Sites

Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Surface-driven endocrine activity of nanoplastics: polymer- and size-dependent estrogen and androgen receptors modulation without steroidogenesis perturbation.

Particle and fibre toxicology·2026

Same author

Galvanic Replacement Incorporation of Ultrasmall Gold-Silver Nanoparticles within a Titanium Aminoterephthalate Framework.

Chemistry of materials : a publication of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Approaching Gold-Standard Sensitivity in a Portable and Versatile Gold Nanoprisms Thermoplasmonic Platform for Lateral Flow Detection of Biomolecules.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Bridging functional bionanomaterials and the clinic: strategic communication as a translational enabler.

Journal of nanobiotechnology·2026

Same author

Transcriptomic and morphological characterization reveals distinct regeneration kinetics in immediate versus delayed nerve repair.

Neural regeneration research·2026

Same author

Gold Nanoparticles Enhance Radiosensitivity in Glioblastoma Cells.

ACS omega·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Manufacture and Drug Delivery Applications of Silk Nanoparticles

Manufacture and Drug Delivery Applications of Silk Nanoparticles

Published on: October 8, 2016

Nanoparticles engineered to bind cellular motors for efficient delivery.

Inmaculada Dalmau-Mena¹, Pablo Del Pino^2,3, Beatriz Pelaz^2,3

¹Dpt. Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Carretera de la Coruña km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain.

Journal of Nanobiotechnology

|April 1, 2018

Summary

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with dynein-binding peptides gain motility, powered by cellular motors. These dynamic nanoparticles can travel within and between cells, showing promise for drug delivery applications.

Keywords:

Biomimetic synthetic peptides Drug delivery Dynein Microtubule motors Nanoparticles

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Published on: March 1, 2013

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier

Published on: February 8, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Manufacture and Drug Delivery Applications of Silk Nanoparticles

Manufacture and Drug Delivery Applications of Silk Nanoparticles

Published on: October 8, 2016

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Published on: March 1, 2013

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier

Published on: February 8, 2017

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Nanotechnology
Cell Biology

Background:

Dynein is a motor protein essential for intracellular transport along microtubules.
Biomimetic peptides binding dynein exhibit dynamic properties like cell accumulation and motility.
Dynein-binding peptides offer potential for functionalizing nanoparticles in drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the motility and intercellular transport of gold nanoparticles modified with dynein-binding peptides.
To assess the potential of these modified nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers.

Main Methods:

Modification of gold nanoparticles with dynein-binding delivery sequences.
Observation of nanoparticle dynamics within cells, including intracellular transport and nuclear membrane shuttling.
Analysis of nanoparticle transport between cells via cell-to-cell contacts and projections.

Main Results:

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with dynein-binding sequences demonstrated active movement powered by molecular motor proteins.
Modified nanoparticles successfully traversed the cytosol, crossed intracellular barriers, and entered the nucleus.
Nanoparticles exhibited intercellular transport, spreading rapidly to distant cells through cell projections.

Conclusions:

Motor-bound nanoparticles display efficient cell-to-cell spreading and enhanced cellular retention.
These properties suggest potential for reduced dosage and improved efficacy in drug delivery applications.
Dynein-powered nanoparticles represent a promising candidate for advanced drug delivery systems.