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

23.7K
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...
23.7K
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

5.4K
Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
5.4K
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

3.8K
During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
3.8K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

6.4K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
6.4K
The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

6.0K
In eukaryotic cells,  cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
6.0K
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

4.8K
The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
4.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

SmartTrap: automated precision experiments with optical tweezers.

Nature methods·2026
Same author

Determining the Effective DNA Charge Density from Nanopore Translocation Dynamics.

Nano letters·2026
Same author

ZIP8 loss impairs macrophage-mediated phagolysosomal removal of bacteria and is overcome by butyrate supplementation.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Temperature-dependent funnel-like DNA folding landscapes.

Nucleic acids research·2025
Same author

Prevalence and outcomes of Urinary tract infections caused by Enterobacterales resistant to third-generation cephalosporins in the Emergency Department: results from UTILY cohort, a prospective multicentre study.

Infection·2025
Same author

Atmospheric environment shapes surface reactivity of Fe(0)-doped lunar dust simulant: Potential toxicological implications.

Journal of hazardous materials·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Structure-Based Simulation and Sampling of Transcription Factor Protein Movements along DNA from Atomic-Scale Stepping to Coarse-Grained Diffusion
09:17

Structure-Based Simulation and Sampling of Transcription Factor Protein Movements along DNA from Atomic-Scale Stepping to Coarse-Grained Diffusion

Published on: March 1, 2022

3.5K

Continuous-time random walk model for the diffusive motion of helicases.

Victor Rodríguez-Franco1, Michelle Marie Spiering2, Piero Bianco3

  • 1Small Biosystems Lab, Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer de Martí i Franquès, 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

QRB Discovery
|December 25, 2025
PubMed
Summary

DNA helicases are molecular motors. Analyzing their motion reveals pausing states are crucial for function and efficiency, advancing our understanding of these DNA-processing enzymes.

Keywords:
DNAbiological reaction kineticsbiomolecular systemsdiffusiondynamics and functionhelicasesmagnetic and optical tweezersmolecular machinesrandom walksingle-molecule

More Related Videos

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
08:03

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy

Published on: April 13, 2022

2.5K
A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA
12:05

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA

Published on: October 1, 2017

8.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Structure-Based Simulation and Sampling of Transcription Factor Protein Movements along DNA from Atomic-Scale Stepping to Coarse-Grained Diffusion
09:17

Structure-Based Simulation and Sampling of Transcription Factor Protein Movements along DNA from Atomic-Scale Stepping to Coarse-Grained Diffusion

Published on: March 1, 2022

3.5K
Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
08:03

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy

Published on: April 13, 2022

2.5K
A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA
12:05

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA

Published on: October 1, 2017

8.5K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • DNA helicases are essential molecular motors that unwind DNA using nucleotide hydrolysis.
  • Understanding their precise mechanisms and efficiency is crucial for comprehending DNA replication and repair.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the mechanochemical cycles of three distinct DNA helicases (gp41, RecQ, RecG).
  • To investigate the role of pausing states and motor efficiency using advanced biophysical techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized magnetic and optical tweezers to track helicase motion on DNA hairpins.
  • Employed a continuous-time random walk framework to analyze velocity and diffusivity.
  • Measured motor efficiency under varying force and ATP conditions.

Main Results:

  • Identified an essential off-pathway pausing state for all studied helicases.
  • RecG helicase demonstrated high efficiency during uphill operation, unlike gp41 and RecQ.
  • Diffusivity measurements provided insights into thermodynamic uncertainty and motor efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Pausing states may play a regulatory role in helicase activity.
  • Helicase efficiency varies significantly based on their function (unwinding vs. rewinding) and operating conditions.
  • Analysis of fluctuations offers a more comprehensive characterization of molecular motor activity.