Recently, single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques have provided unprecedented opportunities to apply and to quantify forces that guide protein (un-)folding. A new study provides fascinating insights into the sophisticated mechanism by which an ATP-fueled proteolytic machine generates mechanical forces to unfold and translocate multidomain substrates.
Dufrêne, Y., & Müller, D. J. (2011). Force Generation: ATP-Powered Proteasomes Pull the Rope. Current Biology, 21(11), R427-R430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.04.046 (Original work published 2011)