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

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

Copolymers are the products obtained from the polymerization of multiple monomer species. So, in a polymer chain itself, there can be multiple repeating units that come from different monomers. The process of synthesizing a polymer from different monomer species is called copolymerization. When two monomers are involved, the polymer is known as a bipolymer. Polymers with three and four monomers are termed terpolymers and quaterpolymers, respectively. Figure 1 depicts the copolymerization of...
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael acceptor.
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Measles: Why the vaccine still works after 60 years.

Cell host & microbe·2026
Same author

Sensitivity of respiratory cell lines to unsaturated carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke is regulated by intracellular glutathione.

The Journal of toxicological sciences·2026
Same author

Whole-genome sequences of <i>Parageobacillus caldoxylosilyticus</i> strains isolated from soil in Japan.

Microbiology resource announcements·2026
Same author

Development of a UDP-Glucose Regeneration Cascade Using Thermophilic Enzymes.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same author

Facile inactivation of a Streptomyces global regulator using a versatile base editing plasmid for secondary metabolism perturbation across multiple species.

Journal of bioscience and bioengineering·2026
Same author

A system of paired polyether epoxide hydrolases enables a mouldable enzyme for consecutive ring cyclization cascades.

Nature chemistry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Using Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization
09:02

Using Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

Published on: July 9, 2015

Polymerization-Induced Functional Switching of Engineered Polyhydroxyalkanoate Synthase Directs Block

Kengo Yanagawa1, Atsuji Kodama2, Hiroya Tomita3

  • 1Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 15, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered how a specific enzyme, PhaCAR, controls polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) block copolymer synthesis. This polymerization-induced functional enhancement mechanism allows for precise control over PHA sequences, expanding their applications.

More Related Videos

Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering
09:12

Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering

Published on: June 1, 2016

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Using Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization
09:02

Using Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

Published on: July 9, 2015

Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering
09:12

Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering

Published on: June 1, 2016

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Polymer Science
  • Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering

Background:

  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable polymers with tunable properties.
  • Controlling monomer sequence in PHA is key to enhancing physical properties and functionality.
  • The sequence-regulating PHA synthase PhaCAR was previously identified but its mechanism was unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism of sequence regulation by PhaCAR during PHA block copolymer synthesis.
  • To understand how PhaCAR achieves spontaneous block copolymerization in vitro.
  • To investigate the role of polymerization-induced functional enhancement in controlling PHA sequence.

Main Methods:

  • Development of an in vitro assay system to monitor multisubstrate reactions.
  • Synthesis and characterization of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-block-poly(2-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)-b-P(2HB)] using purified PhaCAR.
  • Utilized substrate analogs and cryo-electron microscopy to study enzyme conformational changes and reaction intermediates.

Main Results:

  • PhaCAR demonstrated sequential polymerization, initially synthesizing P(3HB) from 3HB-CoA, then switching to polymerize 2HB-CoA.
  • Polymerization-induced functional enhancement was observed, where the first polymerization step altered PhaCAR's activity towards the second monomer.
  • Conformational changes in PhaCAR were linked to this functional enhancement, enabling precise sequence control and P(2HB) homopolymer segment synthesis.

Conclusions:

  • A novel sequence-regulating mechanism based on polymerization-induced functional enhancement by PhaCAR was demonstrated.
  • This mechanism allows for the controlled synthesis of PHA block copolymers with specific monomer sequences.
  • The findings provide a foundation for expanding the structural diversity of PHA for broader applications.