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

Assembly of Signaling Complexes

Assembly of Signaling Complexes

Multiprotein signaling complexes are formed in a dynamic process involving protein-protein interactions at the cytoplasmic domain of transmembrane receptors or enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins associated with the receptor. These complexes ensure the activation and propagation of intracellular signals that regulate cell functions.
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...

Cell Signaling in Plants

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis...

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but...

Internal Receptors

Internal Receptors

Many cellular signals are hydrophilic and therefore cannot pass through the plasma membrane. However, small or hydrophobic signaling molecules can cross the hydrophobic core of the plasma membrane and bind to internal, or intracellular, receptors that reside within the cell. Many mammalian steroid hormones use this mechanism of cell signaling, as does nitric oxide (NO) gas.

Signal Transduction: Overview

Signal Transduction: Overview

Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
Typically, signal transduction involves three...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Diverse binding poses of agonistic neurotoxins on human Na<sub>v</sub>1.6.

Nature·2026

Same author

Structural and mechanistic insights into the UBR4-KCMF1-Calmodulin complex.

Protein & cell·2026

Same author

Molecular basis of quorum-sensing signal transduction by CqsS and its inhibition by CqsA the autoinducer synthase.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

PLANeT: Understanding and leveraging the genome of land plants for a sustainable future.

Cell·2026

Same author

Structural N- and O-glycans revealed by high-resolution cryo-EM analysis of tubular mastigonemes.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

CryoSeek identification of glycofibrils with diverse compositions and structural assemblies.

Cell chemical biology·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Analysis of SCAP N-glycosylation and Trafficking in Human Cells

Analysis of SCAP N-glycosylation and Trafficking in Human Cells

Published on: November 8, 2016

Structural basis for sterol sensing by Scap and Insig.

Renhong Yan¹, Pingping Cao², Wenqi Song²

¹Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.

|June 30, 2021

Summary

The sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) pathway

Keywords:

Insig Loop 1 Loop 7 SREBP pathway Scap cholesterol metabolism cryo-EM structure sterol sensing domain

More Related Videos

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Published on: May 28, 2021

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Published on: June 8, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Analysis of SCAP N-glycosylation and Trafficking in Human Cells

Analysis of SCAP N-glycosylation and Trafficking in Human Cells

Published on: November 8, 2016

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Published on: May 28, 2021

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Published on: June 8, 2022

Area of Science:

Molecular biology
Cellular cholesterol homeostasis
Structural biology

Background:

The SREBP pathway regulates cellular cholesterol levels via Scap and Insig interactions.
Previous studies resolved the Scap/Insig-2 complex structure with 25-hydroxycholesterol, but Scap's luminal domains remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the structure of the human Scap/Insig-2 complex.
To elucidate the role of Scap's luminal domains in cholesterol regulation.

Main Methods:

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis.
Artificial intelligence-facilitated structural prediction.
Purification of the human Scap/Insig-2 complex in digitonin.

Main Results:

The structure of the human Scap/Insig-2 complex was determined.
Scap's luminal domain loop 1 and loop 7 showed resemblance to NPC1, suggesting cholesterol-binding roles.
A novel luminal interface between Scap and Insig was identified.
Scap(D428A) mutant showed the same conformation as wild-type when bound to Insig-2, implying later steps in protein trafficking for its SREBP pathway suppression.

Conclusions:

The study provides structural insights into the Scap/Insig-2 complex, particularly Scap's luminal domains.
These findings offer clues into cholesterol-mediated regulation of the SREBP pathway.
The results suggest that Scap(D428A)'s inhibitory mechanism may involve post-complex formation events.