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

Polymers02:34

Polymers

36.0K
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
36.0K
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.4K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
2.4K
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.6K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
3.6K
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

2.7K
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
2.7K
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

3.1K
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
3.1K
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions01:58

Cooperative Allosteric Transitions

7.9K
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
7.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Special Topics: Developments of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Methods in Asia.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Active Brownian particles in quenched matrices.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Storage Buffer Composition Impacts Internal Structure, Freeze-Thaw Stability, and Transfection Efficiency of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Mg<sup>2+</sup> Catalyzes Nonenzymatic RNA Primer Extension through a Concerted Outer-Sphere Mechanism.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Measuring Differences in Protein Allosteric Graphs Constructed via Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Size and Cross-Linking Dependent Gold Nanoparticle Interactions with Dynamic Pectin Model Plant Cell Walls.

ACS nano·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Single-Molecule Diffusion and Assembly on Polymer-Crowded Lipid Membranes
10:43

Single-Molecule Diffusion and Assembly on Polymer-Crowded Lipid Membranes

Published on: July 19, 2022

2.4K

Sensitive and selective polymer condensation at membrane surface driven by positive co-operativity.

Zhuang Liu1, Arun Yethiraj2, Qiang Cui1,3

  • 1Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 5, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Cellular organization relies on biomolecular phase separation. This study reveals how membrane phase separation and surface biopolymers co-operatively regulate condensate formation, crucial for cellular responses.

Keywords:
lipid membranemean-field modelphase separationpre-wetting transitionsurface condensate

More Related Videos

Preparation of Light-responsive Membranes by a Combined Surface Grafting and Postmodification Process
12:00

Preparation of Light-responsive Membranes by a Combined Surface Grafting and Postmodification Process

Published on: March 21, 2014

11.9K
Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
08:23

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

18.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Single-Molecule Diffusion and Assembly on Polymer-Crowded Lipid Membranes
10:43

Single-Molecule Diffusion and Assembly on Polymer-Crowded Lipid Membranes

Published on: July 19, 2022

2.4K
Preparation of Light-responsive Membranes by a Combined Surface Grafting and Postmodification Process
12:00

Preparation of Light-responsive Membranes by a Combined Surface Grafting and Postmodification Process

Published on: March 21, 2014

11.9K
Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
08:23

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

18.4K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Biomolecular phase separation is key to cellular organization.
  • Lipid membranes are emerging as regulators of biomolecular condensation.
  • The interplay between membrane phase behavior and surface biopolymers in regulating surface condensation is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how membrane phase separation and surface biopolymers regulate biomolecular condensate formation.
  • To elucidate the role of membrane-polymer co-operativity in cellular organization.

Main Methods:

  • Computational simulations
  • Mean-field theoretical modeling

Main Results:

  • Membrane phase separation tendency and polymer-induced lipid reorganization are key factors.
  • Surface condensates form with high sensitivity and selectivity via co-operativity between condensate growth and lipid domains.
  • Regulation is robust across various co-operativity tuning methods (e.g., protein concentration, lipid composition, polymer-lipid affinity).

Conclusions:

  • Positive co-operativity between membrane and surface biopolymers is essential for sensitive and selective condensate formation.
  • This physical principle governing membrane-polymer interactions may apply to broader biological processes.