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

Secondary Active Transport01:55

Secondary Active Transport

141.5K
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme “pump” embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
141.5K
Secondary Active Transport01:32

Secondary Active Transport

14.3K
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme "pump" embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
14.3K
Secondary Active Transport01:32

Secondary Active Transport

5.6K
5.6K
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine01:26

Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine

37.5K
Complex carbohydrates consumed cannot be absorbed into the small intestine in their original form. First, they must be hydrolyzed to a monosaccharide form such as glucose or galactose. These monosaccharides are then transported across the intestinal membrane and into the blood via transcellular transport. The intestinal epithelial cells allow the movement of these monosaccharides with a defined 'entry' through membrane transporter proteins present on their apical membrane and...
37.5K
Phloem and Sugar Transport02:02

Phloem and Sugar Transport

41.0K
Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
41.0K
Glucose Transporters01:27

Glucose Transporters

28.4K
Glucose transporters facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membrane. In addition to glucose, some glucose transporters can also aid the movement of other hexoses such as fructose, mannose, and galactose.
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
28.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Resolving Conformational Preferences of Monosaccharides from <sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C NMR Chemical Shifts Using an Integrated MD and QM Approach.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2026
Same author

Molecular mechanisms of native ligand selectivity in catecholamine G protein-coupled receptors.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Identification of Receptor Binding Proteins of <i>Yersinia</i> Phage φR1-37 and Enterocoliticin That Use the Same Bacterial Surface Receptor.

Viruses·2026
Same author

Unveiling the Activation Mechanism of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor by an Ago-Allosteric Modulator via Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2026
Same author

A conserved glycan motif induces broadly reactive functional antibodies against the zoonotic pathogen <i>Streptococcus suis</i>.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Crystallographic data for Pyrococcus furiosus dolichylphosphate mannose synthase suggest that the enzyme could flip its glycolipid product.

Scientific reports·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Demonstration of Heterologous Complexes formed by Golgi-Resident Type III Membrane Proteins using Split Luciferase Complementation Assay
05:28

Demonstration of Heterologous Complexes formed by Golgi-Resident Type III Membrane Proteins using Split Luciferase Complementation Assay

Published on: September 10, 2020

2.8K

A two-step mechanism for sugar translocation.

Do-Hwan Ahn1, Claudia Alleva1,2, Tom Reichenbach1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
|April 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Sugar transporters like glucose transporters (GLUTs) have specific substrate preferences. This study reveals that the transporter

More Related Videos

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings
04:32

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings

Published on: February 15, 2019

6.3K
Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy
08:16

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2025

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Demonstration of Heterologous Complexes formed by Golgi-Resident Type III Membrane Proteins using Split Luciferase Complementation Assay
05:28

Demonstration of Heterologous Complexes formed by Golgi-Resident Type III Membrane Proteins using Split Luciferase Complementation Assay

Published on: September 10, 2020

2.8K
An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings
04:32

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings

Published on: February 15, 2019

6.3K
Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy
08:16

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2025

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biophysics

Background:

  • Mammalian glucose transporters (GLUTs) are crucial for sugar distribution.
  • The bacterial xylose transporter (XylE) is a model for GLUTs, but exhibits different substrate specificity.
  • Understanding transporter specificity is key to metabolic research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular basis of substrate specificity in sugar transporters.
  • To differentiate between transported substrates and inhibitors using biophysical techniques.
  • To identify key structural determinants of transporter specificity.

Main Methods:

  • Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
  • Protein engineering of the xylose transporter (XylE).
  • Molecular dynamics simulations.
  • Biochemical assays and structural analysis of GLUTs.

Main Results:

  • STD NMR signals distinguish transported sugars from inhibitors.
  • Transported sugars generate STD signals, while inhibitors do not.
  • Engineering XylE's binding pocket and TM7b helix enabled glucose transport.
  • TM7b was identified as crucial for occluded state formation in transporters.

Conclusions:

  • Transporter specificity is determined by the formation of a substrate-induced transition-state intermediate, not initial binding.
  • The TM7b helix plays a critical role in regulating transporter conformation and specificity.
  • This work provides new insights into the mechanism of sugar transport and GLUT function.