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 Experiment Videos

Pathways of oxidative damage.

James A Imlay1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. jimlay@uiuc.edu

Annual Review of Microbiology
|October 7, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) form when enzymes transfer electrons to oxygen, damaging cells. Understanding ROS formation and damage mechanisms is crucial for cellular health and disease.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Rational engineering of facultative anaerobiosis enables commensal survival in the oxygenated gut.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The physiology and biochemistry of oxidative stress in bacteria.

Advances in microbial physiology·2026
Same author

Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

The Barrier Properties of Biological Membranes Dictate How Cells Experience Oxidative Stress.

Molecular microbiology·2025
Same author

Evidence for endogenous hydrogen peroxide production by E. coli fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

PloS one·2024
Same author

Antioxidants are ineffective at quenching reactive oxygen species inside bacteria and should not be used to diagnose oxidative stress.

Molecular microbiology·2024

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Oxygen toxicity is a universal biological phenomenon.
  • Redox enzymes' lack of specificity leads to electron transfer to oxygen.
  • Molecular oxygen's small size allows penetration into enzyme active sites.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation within cells.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which ROS damage specific cellular targets.
  • To explore the implications of cellular oxidation vulnerability.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of redox enzyme activity and oxygen interactions.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms of ROS generation.
  • Examination of cellular damage pathways induced by ROS.

Main Results:

  • Adventitious electron transfers to oxygen generate superoxide and hydrogen peroxide.
  • Partially reduced oxygen species (ROS) oxidize biomolecules.
  • Cellular vulnerability to oxidation underlies various biological processes.

Conclusions:

  • Incomplete understanding of ROS formation and damage persists.
  • ROS contribute to obligate anaerobiosis, spontaneous mutagenesis, and oxidative stress.
  • Further research is needed to fully comprehend ROS-related cellular damage.

Related Experiment Videos