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

Protein Dynamics in Living Cells01:19

Protein Dynamics in Living Cells

2.8K
Different fluorescence-based techniques are used to study the protein dynamics in living cells. These techniques include FRAP, FRET, and PET.
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
2.8K
Mechanical Protein Functions01:58

Mechanical Protein Functions

5.9K
Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force. 
5.9K
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

4.4K
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...
4.4K
ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview01:27

ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview

10.5K
ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
10.5K
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

6.3K
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...
6.3K
ATP Driven Pumps II: P-type Pumps01:34

ATP Driven Pumps II: P-type Pumps

6.9K
The P-type pumps are a large family of integral membrane transporter ATPases. They are divided into five major types based on substrate specificity, from I to V.
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
6.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

iRGD-Modified Peptide-Drug Conjugate Improves Brain Delivery and Antitumor Efficacy in Glioblastoma.

European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences·2026
Same author

Ethanol Infusion Into the Vein of Marshall for Atrial Fibrillation: Clinical Efficacy and Technical Limitations.

Clinical cardiology·2026
Same author

PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in Hodgkin lymphoma: A meta- and network meta-analysis.

Translational oncology·2026
Same author

Schistosoma japonicum histone acetyltransferase 1 (SjHAT1): A novel anti-schistosomal drug target.

PLoS pathogens·2026
Same author

Training an Artificial Intelligence Model for Aortic Dissection Detection Using Non-Contrast Computed Tomography Images from Human Patients.

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE·2026
Same author

A reporting checklist for large language models in behavioural science.

Nature human behaviour·2026
Same journal

Kat5 deficiency in alveolar type II cells licenses STAT6-driven glycolytic reprogramming and pulmonary fibrosis.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Continuous nonthermal slab gap formed by progressive tearing beneath Northeast Asia.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Zeolitic isolated protonic acid sites-mediated NH<sub>3</sub> storage for robust NO<sub>x</sub> removal.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Coaxially nested component with asymmetric fiber resonant cavity and separation membrane for gaseous and dissolved gases detection.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Near-unity charge readout signal in a nonlinear resonator without matching the sensor dissipation.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Prokaryotic Schlafen proteins cleave tRNAs during type III CRISPR immunity.

Nature communications·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops
06:48

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.0K

Protein coacervation-driven active forces power protocell dynamics.

Haiyang Jia1, Huan Sun2,3, Weijie Zhang4

  • 1Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, PR China. haiyangjia@bit.edu.cn.

Nature Communications
|April 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Protein coacervates generate force without ATP. This study engineered a model protocell that harnesses these forces, amplifying small movements for significant mechanical work in synthetic biology applications.

More Related Videos

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
08:50

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Published on: March 10, 2023

1.3K
Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells
06:48

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

Published on: January 5, 2024

5.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops
06:48

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.0K
The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
08:50

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Published on: March 10, 2023

1.3K
Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells
06:48

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

Published on: January 5, 2024

5.9K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Synthetic Biology

Background:

  • Protein coacervates, formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), are emerging as novel force generators.
  • Their force generation is independent of traditional ATP-driven molecular motors.
  • The coordination and force scaling of these coacervates remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer a model system for studying force generation and harnessing by protein coacervates.
  • To investigate temperature-modulated contractility and force amplification in engineered protocells.
  • To explore the potential of protein coacervates in performing large-scale mechanical work.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered a temperature-responsive elastin-based protocell model.
  • Utilized liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) properties to modulate protocell dynamics.
  • Investigated the effect of membrane crosslinking on contraction and force accumulation.
  • Employed mathematical modeling to analyze force amplification.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated temperature-modulated contractility and force harnessing in the engineered protocells.
  • Observed spontaneous expulsion of internal LLPS complexes due to accumulated mechanical forces.
  • Showcased force amplification from piconewton to large-scale mechanical work via protein coacervation.
  • Established a model framework for harnessing coacervate-driven forces.

Conclusions:

  • Protein coacervates possess significant mechanical potential for force generation and amplification.
  • Engineered protocells provide a viable platform for studying and harnessing coacervate-driven forces.
  • This work paves the way for applications in synthetic biology, biomaterials, and soft robotics.