Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...

Global Regulatory Systems

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...

Regulation of Bacterial Virulence

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...

Other Stress Responses in Bacteria

Other Stress Responses in Bacteria

Bacteria have global regulatory systems that control several types of stress mechanisms. These include Pho regulon and the heat shock response, which are essential systems for environmental adaptation, such as nutrient limitation and proteotoxic stress. The Pho regulon and the heat shock response exemplify bacterial resilience, enabling rapid adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions.Pho RegulonBacteria require phosphorus for essential cellular processes, including nucleic acid...

Coordination of Gene Expression Processes in Bacteria

Coordination of Gene Expression Processes in Bacteria

The DNA replication, transcription, and translation processes are intricately coupled in bacteria, allowing efficient gene expression and rapid protein synthesis. While this physical and functional coordination is advantageous, it introduces challenges that bacteria overcome through specific regulatory mechanisms.Coupling of Replication, Transcription, and TranslationThe coupling of replication, transcription, and translation is a hallmark of bacterial gene expression. As the replisome unwinds...

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Manganese Oxide/Iron Carbide Encapsulated in Nitrogen and Boron Codoped Carbon Nanowire Networks as Accelerated Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Bifunctional Electrocatalysts.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2022

Same author

Establishing and evaluating physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics to manage patients with type 2 diabetes in primary hospitals in Hunan province: study protocol of a multi-site randomized controlled trial in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

BMC health services research·2022

Same author

Molecular phylogenetic and morphometric analysis of population structure and demography of endangered threadfin fish Eleutheronema from Indo-Pacific waters.

Scientific reports·2022

Same author

Exploration of the total-body PET/CT reconstruction protocol with ultra-low <sup>18</sup>F-FDG activity over a wide range of patient body mass indices.

EJNMMI physics·2022

Same author

Co-delivery of EGCG and lycopene <i>via</i> a pickering double emulsion induced synergistic hypolipidemic effect.

Food & function·2022

Same author

Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of HSK3486, a Novel 2,6-Disubstituted Phenol Derivative as a General Anesthetic.

Frontiers in pharmacology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response

Published on: May 23, 2020

A mechanism for stochastic decision making by bacteria.

Zach Hensel¹, Jie Xiao

¹Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Chembiochem : a European Journal of Chemical Biology

|March 19, 2009

Summary

The lac operon

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Genetics
Biophysics

Background:

Gene expression regulation is fundamental to cellular function.
The lac operon serves as a classic model for inducible gene expression.
Understanding induction mechanisms is key to deciphering gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the underlying mechanism of lac operon induction.
To investigate the role of single lac-repressor molecules in gene expression.
To develop a stochastic model for gene induction.

Main Methods:

Single-molecule imaging of gene expression.
Single-cell induction measurements.
Stochastic modeling of gene regulation.

More Related Videos

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Published on: January 31, 2020

Live Cell Imaging of Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae using Automated Time-lapse Microscopy

Live Cell Imaging of Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae using Automated Time-lapse Microscopy

Published on: July 28, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response

Published on: May 23, 2020

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Published on: January 31, 2020

Live Cell Imaging of Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae using Automated Time-lapse Microscopy

Live Cell Imaging of Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae using Automated Time-lapse Microscopy

Published on: July 28, 2011

Main Results:

Lac operon expression exhibits an all-or-none phenomenon.
Single lac-repressor molecules play a critical role in the induction process.
A stochastic model was developed to describe lac operon induction.

Conclusions:

The study provides a novel stochastic model for lac operon induction.
Highlights the significant impact of individual molecular interactions on gene expression.
Offers insights into the all-or-none nature of gene regulation.