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

Operons

Operons

Prokaryotes can control gene expression through operons—DNA sequences consisting of regulatory elements and clustered, functionally related protein-coding genes. Operons use a single promoter sequence to initiate transcription of a gene cluster (i.e., a group of structural genes) into a single mRNA molecule. The terminator sequence ends transcription. An operator sequence, located between the promoter and structural genes, prohibits the operon’s transcriptional activity if bound by a repressor...

Operons

Operons

Prokaryotes can control gene expression through operons—DNA sequences consisting of regulatory elements and clustered, functionally related protein-coding genes. Operons use a single promoter sequence to initiate transcription of a gene cluster (i.e., a group of structural genes) into a single mRNA molecule. The terminator sequence ends transcription. An operator sequence, located between the promoter and structural genes, prohibits the operon’s transcriptional activity if bound by a repressor...

Operon Model

Operon Model

The operon model represents a fundamental mechanism of gene regulation in prokaryotes, enabling coordinated expression of genes involved in related metabolic or functional pathways. Operons consist of structural genes, a promoter, and an operator, with transcription regulated by repressors, activators, and small effector molecules.Structure and Function of OperonsAn operon is a cluster of structural genes transcribed together under the control of a single promoter. The promoter region...

Inducible Operons: lac Operon

Inducible Operons: lac Operon

The lac operon in Escherichia coli is a model for understanding inducible gene regulation and metabolic flexibility. It integrates local control by lactose and global regulation through catabolite repression, enabling E. coli to preferentially metabolize glucose when available and switch to lactose utilization when glucose is scarce.Structure and Function of the lac OperonThe lac operon contains three structural genes: lacZ (β-galactosidase), lacY (lactose permease), and lacA (thiogalactoside...

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Transcriptional regulators bind to specific cis-regulatory sequences in the DNA to regulate gene transcription. These cis-regulatory sequences are very short, usually less than ten nucleotide pairs in length. The short length means that there is a high probability of the exact same sequence randomly occurring throughout the genome. Since regulators can also bind to groups of similar sequences, this further increases the chances of random binding. Transcriptional regulators form dimers that...

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Transcriptional regulators bind to specific cis-regulatory sequences in the DNA to regulate gene transcription. These cis-regulatory sequences are very short, usually less than ten nucleotide pairs in length. The short length means that there is a high probability of the exact same sequence randomly occurring throughout the genome. Since regulators can also bind to groups of similar sequences, this further increases the chances of random binding. Transcriptional regulators form dimers that...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Longitudinal monitoring of circulating tumor DNA to detect relapse early and predict outcome in early breast cancer.

Breast cancer research and treatment·2024

Same author

Personalized Cancer Monitoring Assay for the Detection of ctDNA in Patients with Solid Tumors.

Molecular diagnosis & therapy·2023

Same author

Use of Biosynthetic Controls as Performance Standards for Next-Generation Sequencing Assays of Somatic Tumors: A Multilaboratory Study.

The journal of applied laboratory medicine·2020

Same author

Predictive shifts in free energy couple mutations to their phenotypic consequences.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2019

Same author

Author Correction: An Autogenously Regulated Expression System for Gene Therapeutic Ocular Applications.

Scientific reports·2018

Same author

Tuning Transcriptional Regulation through Signaling: A Predictive Theory of Allosteric Induction.

Cell systems·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Published on: April 26, 2013

Functional rules for lac repressor-operator associations and implications for protein-DNA interactions.

Leslie Milk¹, Robert Daber, Mitchell Lewis

¹Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6059, USA.

Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society

|June 1, 2010

Summary

Researchers screened Lac repressor-DNA binding partners to find functional rules. Diverse binding modes prevent generalized recognition rules for this protein-DNA system.

More Related Videos

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

Combining Single-molecule Manipulation and Imaging for the Study of Protein-DNA Interactions

Combining Single-molecule Manipulation and Imaging for the Study of Protein-DNA Interactions

Published on: August 27, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Published on: April 26, 2013

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

Combining Single-molecule Manipulation and Imaging for the Study of Protein-DNA Interactions

Combining Single-molecule Manipulation and Imaging for the Study of Protein-DNA Interactions

Published on: August 27, 2014

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Genetics
Biochemistry

Background:

The Lac repressor is a well-established tool for studying protein-DNA recognition.
Recent studies highlight its potential for controlling eukaryotic gene expression, driving interest in its binding partners for therapeutic uses.

Purpose of the Study:

To conduct an exhaustive screen of Lac repressor-DNA binding partners.
To elucidate functional rules governing Lac repressor-DNA interactions.
To assess the diversity of binding modes within this system.

Main Methods:

Large-scale screening of Lac repressor-DNA binding partners.
Analysis of protein-DNA recognition modes.

Main Results:

The most comprehensive screen of Lac repressor-DNA binding partners to date was performed.
Functional rules for Lac repressor-DNA binding were identified.
Significant diversity in binding modes was observed even within a single protein-DNA scaffold.

Conclusions:

The diverse binding modes of Lac repressor-DNA partners complicate the establishment of generalized recognition rules.
Further research is needed to understand the nuances of protein-DNA interactions for potential therapeutic applications.