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

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...

The Electron Transport Chain

The Electron Transport Chain

The electron transport chain or oxidative phosphorylation is an exothermic process in which free energy released during electron transfer reactions is coupled to ATP synthesis. This process is a significant source of energy in aerobic cells, and therefore inhibitors of the electron transport chain can be detrimental to the cell's metabolic processes.
Inhibitors of the electron transport chain
Rotenone, a widely used pesticide, prevents electron transfer from Fe-S cluster to ubiquinone or Q in...

Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV

Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV

During the electron transport chain, electrons from NADH and FADH2 are first transferred to complexes I and II, respectively. These two complexes then transfer the electrons to ubiquinol, which carries them further to complex III. Complex III passes the electrons across the intermembrane space to Cyt c, which carries them further to complex IV. Complex IV donates electrons to oxygen and reduces it to water. As electrons pass through complexes I, III, and IV, the energy released aids the pumping...

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbial activity plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and manganese, especially at the redox gradients characteristic of stratified aquatic environments. These cycles are driven by microbial transformations between oxidized and reduced forms of the metals, allowing organisms to exploit them for metabolic energy and structural purposes.Iron Cycling Across Redox GradientsIn neutral, oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is predominantly found in its oxidized, insoluble ferric...

Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II

Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the main energy generation system in the eukaryotic cells. However, mitochondria also produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the large electron flow during oxidative phosphorylation. While Complex I is one of the primary sources of superoxide radicals, ROS production by Complex II is uncommon and may only be observed in cancer cells with mutated complexes.
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...

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

tRNA-Dependent Chemoenzymatic Transformation of Aminoacyl Pendant Moieties of Streptothricin Antibiotics.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Identification of peptaibols as specific inhibitors of the futalosine pathway.

Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry·2025

Same author

Substrate specificities of two ketosynthases in eukaryotic microalgal and prokaryotic marine bacterial DHA synthases.

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

Same author

Biosynthesis of lactacystin as a proteasome inhibitor.

Communications chemistry·2025

Same author

Identification of a new oligomycin derivative as a specific inhibitor of the alternative peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway.

The Journal of antibiotics·2024

Same author

Optimization of tyrosol-producing pathway with tyrosine decarboxylase and tyramine oxidase in high-tyrosine-producing Escherichia coli.

Journal of bioscience and bioengineering·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Published on: July 17, 2020

Menaquinone biosyntheses in microorganisms.

¹Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan. dairi@eng.hokudai.ac.jp

Methods in Enzymology

|September 25, 2012

Summary

Researchers discovered a novel menaquinone (MK) biosynthesis pathway, the futalosine (FL) pathway, in Streptomyces. This alternative pathway differs significantly from the established E. coli route, revealing new insights into prokaryotic electron transfer.

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biochemistry
Genomics

Background:

Menaquinone (MK) is crucial for electron transfer in prokaryotes.
Established MK biosynthesis pathways are primarily based on Escherichia coli.
Bioinformatic analyses suggest alternative MK biosynthesis routes exist.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate a novel menaquinone biosynthesis pathway in a Streptomyces strain.
To elucidate the genes and intermediates involved in this alternative pathway.
To compare this pathway with the known menaquinone biosynthesis in E. coli.

Main Methods:

Utilized (13)C-labeling of glucose to trace MK biosynthesis.
Performed in silico screening to identify candidate genes.
Conducted gene-disruption experiments to confirm gene involvement.

More Related Videos

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Published on: May 31, 2024

Facile Preparation of 4-Substituted Quinazoline Derivatives

Facile Preparation of 4-Substituted Quinazoline Derivatives

Published on: February 15, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Published on: July 17, 2020

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Published on: May 31, 2024

Facile Preparation of 4-Substituted Quinazoline Derivatives

Facile Preparation of 4-Substituted Quinazoline Derivatives

Published on: February 15, 2016

Isolated and characterized accumulated metabolites from auxotrophic mutants.

Main Results:

Identified a novel futalosine (FL) pathway for MK biosynthesis in Streptomyces.
Demonstrated distinct (13)C-labeling patterns compared to E. coli.
Uncovered three potential early routes within the FL pathway.
Characterized variations in FL pathway intermediates (AFL, DHFL) across different bacterial species.

Conclusions:

The futalosine (FL) pathway represents a significant alternative to established menaquinone (MK) biosynthesis in prokaryotes.
Variations in the FL pathway, particularly in early steps, exist across different bacterial genera.
This discovery expands our understanding of menaquinone metabolism and its evolutionary diversity.