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

The Fluid Mosaic Model

The Fluid Mosaic Model

The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...

Phase Transitions

Phase Transitions

Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane Fluidity

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

RNA-Protein complexes and their role in cell fate.

Physiology (Bethesda, Md.)·2026

Same author

Characterization of the Interaction of Known G-quadruplex Ligands With a Minimal i-Motif Structure.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Evolutionary analysis of transcription elongation factors reveals conserved and lineage-specific regulatory domains.

PLoS biology·2026

Same author

Characteristics of <i>Serratia rubidaea</i> Clinical Strain Revealed Multiple Resistance to Antibiotics and Disinfectants.

Microorganisms·2026

Same author

From mechanistic modeling to AI-driven design: computational strategies for targeting the γ-secretase complex.

Briefings in bioinformatics·2026

Same author

Sequence and structure of protein binding sites in RNA impact biomolecular condensates.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

Chlorinated VSLSs Surpass HCFCs in CFC-11-Equivalent Emissions for Ozone Layer Depletion in China.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Author Correction: Charge transfer in triphenylamine-tetrazine covalent organic frameworks for solar-driven hydrogen peroxide production.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Vegetation browning patterns under compound soil and atmospheric dryness in northern permafrost ecosystems.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Voltage imaging of CA1 pyramidal cells and SST+ interneurons reveals stability and plasticity mechanisms of spatial firing.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Radical-omics reveals the hydrogen-abstraction pathway of isoprene oxidation.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Toughening elastomer via sequentially activated multi-pathway energy dissipation.

Nature communications·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Published on: April 4, 2025

Visualization of liquid-liquid phase transitions using a tiny G-quadruplex binding protein.

Bikash R Sahoo^1,2, Xiexiong Deng^1,2, Ee Lin Wong^1,2

¹Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Nature Communications

|September 29, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The human protein SERF2 drives stress granule formation by interacting with RNA G-quadruplexes. This study reveals the structural dynamics of these interactions in liquid-liquid phase transitions.

More Related Videos

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Published on: September 19, 2017

Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells

Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells

Published on: January 5, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Published on: April 4, 2025

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Published on: September 19, 2017

Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells

Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells

Published on: January 5, 2024

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Structural Biology

Background:

Liquid-liquid phase transitions are crucial for protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions.
Protein disorder and multivalency drive these transitions, but structural details remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the structural basis of liquid-liquid phase transitions in ribonucleoprotein condensate formation.
To investigate the role of the human protein SERF2 in stress granule formation and its interactions with RNA.

Main Methods:

Solution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the structure of SERF2.
Biophysical techniques to characterize protein-RNA interactions and structural dynamics.

Main Results:

Determined the solution NMR structure ensemble of SERF2.
Showed specific interaction between SERF2 and non-canonical tetrahelical RNA G-quadruplexes.
Characterized multivalent protein-RNA interactions, the role of protein disorder, and specific contacts in phase transitions.

Conclusions:

SERF2 is essential for stress granule formation, interacting with RNA G-quadruplexes.
Detailed understanding of structural transitions in ribonucleoprotein condensate formation.
Highlights the impact of protein disorder and multivalency on phase transitions.