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

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial cooperation involves beneficial interactions in which different species work together for individual or mutual advantage. These interactions can profoundly influence ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes, and they are essential to many pathogenic and symbiotic relationships.Nematode–Bacteria CooperationA striking example is the relationship between the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes...

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...

Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...

Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

Mutualism is a symbiotic interaction in which all participating organisms benefit. These relationships can be obligate or facultative and are fundamental to ecosystem functions across diverse biological systems.Plant–Fungi MutualismOne well-known example is the association between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi, such as Rhizophagus species. The fungal hyphae penetrate the root hairs and the epidermis, forming an extensive hyphal network that establishes a symbiotic association. Through this...

Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota

Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota

The phylum Bacteroidota includes over 700 species classified into four primary orders: Bacteroidales, Cytophagales, Flavobacteriales, and Sphingobacteriales. These gram-negative, non-sporulating rods exhibit saccharolytic capabilities and can be aerobic or fermentative, encompassing obligate aerobes, facultative aerobes, and obligate anaerobes. Many species display gliding motility, though some are nonmotile or use flagella. The genus Bacteroides is well-studied due to its significant role in...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The Progressive Anemia Following a Single Intramarrow Injection of B. Welchii Toxins.

The American journal of pathology·2009

Same author

A Cultural Study of Anaerobic Spore-Bearing Bacteria with Strains isolated by the Barber Single Cell Technic.

The Journal of medical research·2009

Same author

THE SELECTIVE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF GENTIAN VIOLET.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2009

Same author

THE SELECTIVE ACTION OF GENTIAN VIOLET ON CLOSELY RELATED BACTERIAL STRAINS.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2009

Same author

THE SELECTIVE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF STAINS CLOSELY ALLIED TO GENTIAN VIOLET.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2009

Same author

THE SELECTIVE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF METHYLENE-BLUE.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2009

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Fluorescence Live-cell Imaging of the Complete Vegetative Cell Cycle of the Slow-growing Social Bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Fluorescence Live-cell Imaging of the Complete Vegetative Cell Cycle of the Slow-growing Social Bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Published on: June 20, 2018

COMMUNAL ACTIVITY OF BACTERIA.

J W Churchman¹, M C Kahn

¹Department of Hygiene of Cornell University Medical College, New York.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine

|October 30, 2009

Summary

Bacterial cell behavior changes with population size. A group of thirty bacterial cells exhibits significantly different gentian violet interactions than a single cell, demonstrating non-linear group effects.

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Cellular Biology
Bacteriology

Background:

Bacterial cells exhibit complex behaviors influenced by environmental factors.
Understanding population-level dynamics is crucial for microbiology.
Gentian violet is a dye with antimicrobial properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the differential behavior of individual bacterial cells versus small populations when exposed to gentian violet.
To determine if the response to gentian violet scales linearly with cell number.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of single bacterial cell behavior.
Assessment of a small bacterial population (thirty cells) behavior.
Observation of interactions with gentian violet.

More Related Videos

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions

Published on: October 31, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Fluorescence Live-cell Imaging of the Complete Vegetative Cell Cycle of the Slow-growing Social Bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Fluorescence Live-cell Imaging of the Complete Vegetative Cell Cycle of the Slow-growing Social Bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Published on: June 20, 2018

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions

Published on: October 31, 2013

Main Results:

A fundamental difference in behavior was observed between a single bacterial cell and a group of thirty cells towards gentian violet.
The collective action of thirty cells exceeded thirty times the accomplishment of a single cell, indicating a non-quantitative phenomenon.

Conclusions:

Bacterial cell behavior is not solely quantitative and is fundamentally altered by population size.
Group effects in bacterial populations can lead to emergent behaviors not predictable from single-cell studies.
Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind these non-linear group dynamics.