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

DNA Helicases00:55

DNA Helicases

21.4K
DNA unwinding helicase enzymes are a type of motor protein. Motor proteins can translocate along filaments or polymers using energy generated from ATP hydrolysis. Helicases are involved in all the important cellular processes where DNA unwinding is required, such as DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. They are present in all living organisms, but vary in their structure, function, and mechanism of action. For example, in prokaryotes, DnaB helicase binds and translocates...
21.4K
DNA Topoisomerases02:02

DNA Topoisomerases

31.4K
Topoisomerases are enzymes that relax overwound DNA molecules during various cell processes, including DNA replication and transcription. These enzymes regulate positive and negative DNA supercoiling without changing the nucleotide sequence. DNA overwinding in a clockwise direction results in positively supercoiled DNA, whereas underwinding in a counterclockwise direction produces negatively supercoiled DNA.
Types and Mechanism of action
Topoisomerases are divided into two main types. ...
31.4K
Homologous Recombination02:31

Homologous Recombination

50.6K
The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
50.6K
Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins01:03

Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins

14.1K
For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...
14.1K
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

5.8K
DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart,...
5.8K
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

33.6K
DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with...
33.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cellular replisomes are powered by flex-fuel motors for unwinding DNA.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Cohesin activity accelerates the homology search.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Searching for sequence features that control DNA cyclizability.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same author

Rapid functional classification of cardiac genetic variants directly informs precision cardiology.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Multivalent weak contacts shape chaperone-nascent protein interactions.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A DNA-encoded recipe to direct multistage colloidal assembly.

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

A Multitask Prediction Framework for CircRNAs, Drugs, and Diseases Based on Multi-View Information Integration and Graph Contrastive Learning.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same journal

Engineering Modular Cargo Loading Strategies for Carboxysome-Derived Protein Particles.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same journal

Suppression of Salmonella Effectors with CRISPRi Controls the Immune Response to Bacterial Therapies.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same journal

Rational Design of Linalool Dehydratase-Isomerase Enables Efficient Conversion of Phytol to Neophytadiene.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same journal

<i>De Novo</i> Biosynthesis of Polyphyllin V in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> through Pathway Reconstruction and UDP-Sugar Engineering.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same journal

Rapid and Continuous Directed Evolution in <i>Vibrio natriegens</i> Utilizing an <i>In Vivo</i> Hypermutation System.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks
12:19

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks

Published on: November 10, 2016

8.3K

Directing Uphill Strand Displacement with an Engineered Superhelicase.

Helena Hall-Thomsen1, Shavier Small1, Momcilo Gavrilov2

  • 1Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.

ACS Synthetic Biology
|October 16, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Engineered DNA helicase Rep-X enables controlled unwinding of DNA complexes, powering strand displacement circuits for complex biological regulation. This innovation allows for sustained dynamic behavior and transient responses in synthetic networks.

Keywords:
DNA nanotechnologyhelicasestrand displacement reaction

More Related Videos

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers
08:28

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Published on: September 19, 2017

8.0K
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Motion Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replisome Components at the Single-Molecule Level
10:11

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Motion Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replisome Components at the Single-Molecule Level

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks
12:19

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks

Published on: November 10, 2016

8.3K
Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers
08:28

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Published on: September 19, 2017

8.0K
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Motion Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replisome Components at the Single-Molecule Level
10:11

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Motion Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replisome Components at the Single-Molecule Level

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.1K

Area of Science:

  • Synthetic Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Engineering

Background:

  • DNA strand displacement circuits mimic biological regulatory networks.
  • Current circuits lack signal turnover and transient responses due to insufficient energy input.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Introduce a method for controlled energy input into DNA strand displacement networks.
  • Enable sustained dynamical behavior and transient responses in synthetic circuits.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered a DNA helicase, Rep-X, to transiently dehybridize specific DNA complexes.
  • Demonstrated control over Rep-X unwinding using DNA strand displacement reactions for protection/deprotection.
  • Utilized Rep-X to direct the formation of specific metastable DNA structures.

Main Results:

  • Rep-X provides controlled energy input by selectively unwinding DNA complexes.
  • The dehybridization process can be precisely regulated by external DNA signals.
  • Metastable DNA structures can be formed predictably through helicase-mediated unwinding.

Conclusions:

  • Helicase-regulated unwinding offers a pathway to active DNA strand displacement networks.
  • This approach facilitates sustained dynamical behavior and transient responses.
  • Findings guide the design of synthetic biological circuits with enhanced regulatory capabilities.