Self-assembly Pathways
Self-assembly Pathways - Related Videos
11:36
Assembly, Loading, and Alignment of an Analytical Ultracentrifuge Sample Cell
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Cited by 21 •
2009
The analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC) sample cell holds sample and reference buffer and during experiments and is exposed to high vacuum and rotor speeds up to 60,000 rpm. This video will demonstrate the rigorous attention to detail necessary for assembly, loading and alignment of this very important component of an AUC experiment.
02:41
Protein Complex Assembly
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2020
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes. Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
09:57
Examining Proteasome Assembly with Recombinant Archaeal Proteasomes and Nondenaturing PAGE: The Case for a Combined Approach
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Cited by 1 •
2016
This protocol uses both subunit coexpression and postlysis subunit mixing for a more thorough examination of recombinant proteasome assembly.
12:03
Protocols for C-Brick DNA Standard Assembly Using Cpf1
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Cited by 4 •
2017
CRISPR-associated protein Cpf1 can be guided by a specially designed CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to cleave double-stranded DNA at desired sites, generating sticky ends. Based on this characteristic, a DNA assembly standard (C-Brick) was established, and a protocol detailing its use is described here.
13:05
Micropatterning and Assembly of 3D Microvessels
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Cited by 12 •
2016
This manuscript presents an injection molding method to engineer microvessels that recapitulate physiological properties of endothelium. The microfluidic-based process creates patent 3D vascular networks with tailorable conditions, such as flow, cellular composition, geometry, and biochemical gradients. The fabrication process and examples of potential applications are described.
FAQs
Transient intermediates show that biological assembly can proceed through a sequence of stages rather than directly reaching its final structure. Each stage reflects changing molecular interactions and energetic stability. Examining these temporary states helps researchers understand why different routes can produce different outcomes, including correctly organized complexes or structures associated with misfolding and aggregation.
Hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic effects, and van der Waals interactions collectively guide molecular components toward ordered arrangements. Their combined influence determines which contacts form as assembly progresses. Because these forces are noncovalent, changes in the surrounding conditions can alter the interactions, affecting both the route taken and the resulting biological structure.
Concentration, solvent conditions, and temperature are important variables because they influence how molecular components interact during assembly. Altering any of them can change the sequence of transient intermediates or the energetic favorability of possible arrangements. Consequently, the same biological components may follow different pathways or produce different final structures under changed conditions.
These pathways contribute to the organization of protein complexes, lipid membranes, nucleic acid assemblies, and viral particles. The specific components differ across these structures, but each depends on coordinated molecular interactions that establish an ordered arrangement. Studying this range makes the concept relevant to cellular organization as well as to molecular assemblies outside intact cells.
Following the assembly route can reveal whether a protein or protein-containing system passes through intermediates that lead toward an organized structure or toward an undesirable state. This pathway-focused view is useful because the final outcome alone may not show where organization diverged. Researchers can therefore connect altered assembly routes with misfolding and aggregation.
Understanding how interactions, concentrations, solvent conditions, and temperature influence assembly can help researchers design systems with controlled properties. In biomaterials and therapeutic systems, pathway information provides a basis for directing components toward desired structures rather than relying only on the final composition. The resulting goal is controlled organization and predictable material or system behavior.