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Related Concept Videos

Regulation of Metabolism01:19

Regulation of Metabolism

Cellular needs and conditions vary from cell to cell and change within individual cells over time. For example, the required enzymes and energetic demands of stomach cells are different from those of fat storage cells, skin cells, blood cells, and nerve cells. Furthermore, a digestive cell works much harder to process and break down nutrients during the time that closely follows a meal compared with many hours after a meal. As these cellular demands and conditions vary, so do the amounts and...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms are arranged differently. Most lipids are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Microbial Biosensors01:17

Microbial Biosensors

Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
Loss of Carboxy Group as CO2: Decarboxylation of Malonic Acid Derivatives01:35

Loss of Carboxy Group as CO2: Decarboxylation of Malonic Acid Derivatives

Just like β-keto acids—which upon thermal decarboxylation form ketones—β-dicarboxylic acids undergo decarboxylation to generate monocarboxylic acids with the liberation of carbon dioxide.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor
09:21

Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor

Published on: January 4, 2016

A genetically encoded metabolite sensor for malonyl-CoA.

Jessica M Ellis1, Michael J Wolfgang

  • 1Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Chemistry & Biology
|October 30, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a malonyl-CoA biosensor for mammalian cells. This tool tracks fatty acid metabolism and identified LIMK1 as a regulator of synthesis and oxidation.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Metabolic Engineering

Background:

  • Malonyl-CoA is a key regulator of fatty acid metabolism, controlling both synthesis and beta-oxidation.
  • Existing methods for measuring malonyl-CoA in live cells are limited.
  • A genetically encoded biosensor offers a dynamic and sensitive approach to monitor malonyl-CoA levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a novel, genetically encoded biosensor for measuring malonyl-CoA levels in living mammalian cells.
  • To utilize the biosensor to investigate the regulation of fatty acid metabolism.
  • To screen for novel regulators of fatty acid metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a malonyl-CoA biosensor using the Bacillus subtilis transcriptional repressor FapR.

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Imaging of mtHyPer7, a Ratiometric Biosensor for Mitochondrial Peroxide, in Living Yeast Cells
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor
09:21

Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor

Published on: January 4, 2016

Imaging of mtHyPer7, a Ratiometric Biosensor for Mitochondrial Peroxide, in Living Yeast Cells
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Imaging of mtHyPer7, a Ratiometric Biosensor for Mitochondrial Peroxide, in Living Yeast Cells

Published on: June 2, 2023

  • Expression of the biosensor in mammalian cells.
  • Monitoring biosensor transcription in response to changes in malonyl-CoA flux.
  • Utilizing the biosensor to screen for kinases affecting fatty acid metabolism.

    • Main Results:

    • The FapR-based biosensor successfully detected fluctuations in malonyl-CoA levels in mammalian cells.
    • Biosensor activity correlated with malonyl-CoA flux regulated by malonyl-CoA decarboxylase and AMP-activated protein kinase.
    • The biosensor enabled the identification of LIMK1 as a novel regulator impacting both fatty acid synthesis and oxidation.

    Conclusions:

    • A genetically encoded malonyl-CoA biosensor provides a valuable tool for studying cellular metabolism in real-time.
    • This biosensor facilitates the discovery of new regulators of fatty acid metabolism.
    • The developed system has broad applications in metabolic research and drug discovery.