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

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments01:35

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments

2.6K
Intermediate filaments (IFs) do not undergo spontaneous disassembly. Enzymes, kinases, and phosphatases add and remove phosphates from specific sites to regulate their disassembly. The IF concentration in the cytoplasm also regulates the disassembly. If the concentration crosses a threshold, it activates the protein kinases in the vicinity, allowing the phosphorylation of IFs.
Keratin proteins, found at the cell periphery near cell junctions, undergo a cycle of assembly and disassembly. In Type...
2.6K
Types of Intermediate Filaments01:31

Types of Intermediate Filaments

4.8K
The intermediate filaments are an essential component of the cytoskeleton. Presently six types of intermediate filament have been identified. Type I and II are acidic and basic keratin proteins. Type III is of mesodermal origin and comprises four proteins: vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and peripherin. Vimentin is commonly found in mesenchymal cells, desmin in muscle cells, GFAP in astrocytes, while peripherin is found in peripheral nervous system neurons (PNS). Type...
4.8K
Formation of Intermediate Filaments00:57

Formation of Intermediate Filaments

3.9K
Intermediate filaments are cytoskeletal proteins with higher tensile strength and flexibility than microfilaments and microtubules. Unlike the other two cytoskeletal proteins, intermediate filament formation lacks the enzymatic activity to hydrolyze nucleotides like ATP and GTP to generate energy for polymerization. Therefore, the formation of intermediate filaments is multistep self-assembly. The involvement of any accessory proteins in intermediate filament formation has not yet been...
3.9K
The Structure of Intermediate Filaments01:19

The Structure of Intermediate Filaments

5.6K
The intermediate filaments are one of three widely studied cytoskeletal filaments. They are so named as their diameter (10 nm) is in between that of microfilaments (7 nm) and the microtubules (25 nm).  These filaments are highly stable and can remain intact when exposed to high salt concentrations and detergents. These filaments are responsible for providing stability and mechanical support to the cells. They also help in cell adhesion and maintaining tissue integrity.
Intermediate...
5.6K
Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy14:23

Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy

11.4K
The overall goal of this methodology is to give the optimal experimental conditions from sample preparation to image acquisition and reconstruction in order to perform 2D dual color dSTORM images of microtubules and intermediate filaments in fixed cells...
11.4K
Cyclic Voltammetry (CV)08:37

Cyclic Voltammetry (CV)

129.7K
Source: Laboratory of Dr. Kayla Green — Texas Christian University
A Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) experiment involves the scan of a range of potential voltages while measuring current. In the CV experiment, the potential of an immersed, stationary electrode is scanned from a predetermined starting potential to a final value (called the switching potential) and then the reverse scan is obtained. This gives a 'cyclic' sweep of potentials and the current vs. potential curve derived from...
129.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Bottom-up synthesis of molecular nanodiamond from nanographene.

Nature·2026
Same author

Condensin I but not Condensin II is crucial for mitotic chromosome mechanics.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Fast-scanning small-angle X-ray scattering of hydrated biological cells.

Journal of synchrotron radiation·2026
Same author

Resolving interface structure and local internal mechanics of mitotic chromosomes.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Tissue tension of planar, free standing cell monolayers measured by central deformation.

PNAS nexus·2025
Same author

Condensates of synaptic vesicles and synapsin-1 mediate actin sequestering and polymerization.

The EMBO journal·2025
Same journal

Synergistic Ion-Solvent Modulation Derived Robust Multiphase Solid Electrolyte Interphases for High-Rate and Long-Term Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Actively Tunable Metalens with Varying Fields of View.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Optical Spectral Fingerprinting Enables Sensitive Detection of Anthracycline Chemotherapeutics in Synthetic Clinical Biofluids.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Gate-Tunable Magnetoresistance in Antiferromagnetic van der Waals FePS<sub>3</sub> Transistors.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Highly Localized Plasmonic Jackiw-Rebbi State from a Topological Phase Transition.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Anisotropic Magnetoresistance and Giant Topological Hall Effect in In-Plane Topological Spin Structures.

Nano letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy
14:23

Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy

Published on: March 6, 2018

11.4K

Vimentin Intermediate Filaments Undergo Irreversible Conformational Changes during Cyclic Loading.

Johanna Forsting1, Julia Kraxner1, Hannes Witt2

  • 1Institute for X-Ray Physics , University of Goettingen , 37077 Göttingen , Germany.

Nano Letters
|September 10, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs) soften upon stretching and do not recover stiffness quickly. Introducing cross-linkers rescues reversibility, revealing IFs as adaptable nanomaterials.

Keywords:
3-state systemcell mechanicscytoskeletonforce-strain behaviorintermediate filamentsoptical tweezers

More Related Videos

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments
01:35

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments

2.6K
Types of Intermediate Filaments
01:31

Types of Intermediate Filaments

4.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy
14:23

Imaging Intermediate Filaments and Microtubules with 2-dimensional Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy

Published on: March 6, 2018

11.4K
Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments
01:35

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments

2.6K
Types of Intermediate Filaments
01:31

Types of Intermediate Filaments

4.8K

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Intermediate filaments (IFs) are crucial cytoskeletal components in eukaryotic cells, dictating mechanical properties.
  • Vimentin IFs exhibit significant extensibility and resilience, enabling cellular support under stress.
  • Prior studies suggested unfolding of alpha-helices to beta-sheets in vimentin IFs under strain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical behavior and recovery dynamics of vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs) under strain.
  • To reconcile seemingly contradictory observations regarding filament softening and negligible plastic strain.
  • To explore the role of conformational states and cross-linking in IF mechanical reversibility.

Main Methods:

  • Mechanical testing of vimentin IFs under stretching conditions.
  • Analysis of filament conformational changes and stiffness recovery over time.
  • Experimental manipulation using cross-linkers to assess reversibility.

Main Results:

  • Vimentin IFs exhibit a delayed recovery of stiffness after stretching, indicating a non-negligible time scale for mechanical response.
  • A third, less defined conformational state is proposed to explain the observed softening and slow recovery.
  • Nanoscale reversibility is fully restored by cross-linkers that inhibit the transition to beta-sheet structures.

Conclusions:

  • Vimentin IFs possess unique nanomaterial properties with implications for cellular mechanics.
  • The mechanical response of IFs involves multiple conformational states, including a transient, less ordered state.
  • Cross-linking is critical for maintaining IF mechanical integrity and reversibility, impacting cellular adaptation to stimuli.