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

Regulation of Bacterial Virulence01:28

Regulation of Bacterial Virulence

Pathogenic bacteria employ a range of regulatory mechanisms to modulate the expression of virulence genes in response to environmental and host-derived signals. These mechanisms ensure that virulence factors are expressed only under favorable conditions, thereby optimizing infection and survival strategies.Mechanisms of Virulence RegulationKey regulatory strategies include:Two-Component Systems: These consist of a membrane-bound sensor kinase and a cytoplasmic response regulator. Environmental...
CRISPR and crRNAs02:53

CRISPR and crRNAs

Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR01:23

The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR

CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats is a adaptive immune system found in bacteria and archaea that protects against viral infections. This system enables prokaryotic cells to identify, remember, and neutralize foreign genetic elements, primarily bacteriophages, by storing fragments of the invader’s DNA as a genetic memory.The CRISPR immune response begins during an initial infection. Cas (CRISPR-associated) proteins play a central role in this defense.
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Uncovering an alternate pathway of antibiotic resistance in spore-forming bacteria.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Meningococcal B Vaccine to Prevent <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> Infection.

The New England journal of medicine·2026
Same author

Ionophore PBT2 as a novel approach to combat antibiotic-resistant <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>.

mBio·2026
Same author

Pathogen species and capsule expression shape opportunistic transfer and the recipient response during plasmid RP4 conjugation.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Oxford Nanopore Technologies RNA sequencing data for investigating epigenetic regulation by phase-variable DNA methyltransferase ModD1 in serogroup B <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i>.

Microbiology resource announcements·2026
Same author

Methylome profiles to investigate gene regulation mediated by phase-variable DNA methyltransferases in serogroup B <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i>.

Microbiology resource announcements·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
09:01

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

Published on: September 28, 2022

Phase variable type III restriction-modification systems of host-adapted bacterial pathogens.

Kate L Fox1, Yogitha N Srikhanta, Michael P Jennings

  • 1School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.

Molecular Microbiology
|August 24, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Phase variation, a gene switching mechanism in bacterial pathogens, is now understood to involve restriction-modification (R-M) systems. These systems form

More Related Videos

TransFLP &#x2014; A Method to Genetically Modify Vibrio cholerae Based on Natural Transformation and FLP-recombination
12:13

TransFLP — A Method to Genetically Modify Vibrio cholerae Based on Natural Transformation and FLP-recombination

Published on: October 8, 2012

Genetic Modification of Cyanobacteria by Conjugation Using the CyanoGate Modular Cloning Toolkit
08:25

Genetic Modification of Cyanobacteria by Conjugation Using the CyanoGate Modular Cloning Toolkit

Published on: October 31, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
09:01

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

Published on: September 28, 2022

TransFLP &#x2014; A Method to Genetically Modify Vibrio cholerae Based on Natural Transformation and FLP-recombination
12:13

TransFLP — A Method to Genetically Modify Vibrio cholerae Based on Natural Transformation and FLP-recombination

Published on: October 8, 2012

Genetic Modification of Cyanobacteria by Conjugation Using the CyanoGate Modular Cloning Toolkit
08:25

Genetic Modification of Cyanobacteria by Conjugation Using the CyanoGate Modular Cloning Toolkit

Published on: October 31, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epigenetics
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Phase variation is a common gene expression strategy in bacterial pathogens.
  • Restriction-modification (R-M) systems typically defend against foreign DNA.
  • R-M systems are not usually associated with phase variation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of R-M systems in bacterial phase variation.
  • To explore the potential of R-M systems as regulators of gene expression in pathogens.
  • To understand the epigenetic mechanism of 'phasevarions'.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of repetitive DNA motifs in type III R-M systems.
  • Investigating R-M systems in human pathogens like *Haemophilus influenzae*, *Neisseria meningitidis*, and *Neisseria gonorrhoeae*.
  • Studying the epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

Main Results:

  • Type III R-M systems in pathogens possess repetitive DNA motifs indicative of phase variation.
  • Evidence suggests R-M systems are involved in 'phasevarions' (phase variable regulons).
  • These 'phasevarions' control multiple gene expressions through novel epigenetic mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Restriction-modification systems can undergo phase variation.
  • Phase variable R-M systems act as 'phasevarions', regulating multiple genes epigenetically.
  • This mechanism is significant in human bacterial pathogens.