Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments01:28

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...
Mechanism of Conjugation01:19

Mechanism of Conjugation

Bacterial conjugation is a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer that enables the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells through direct contact. This process is facilitated by a donor cell carrying a conjugative plasmid, which encodes genes necessary for pilus formation, DNA replication, and transfer. The conjugative plasmid plays a central role in initiating and executing the transfer of genetic material.The tra region of the conjugative plasmid encodes proteins responsible for...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins01:03

Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins

For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Targeting neurodevelopmental miR132-3p promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration after optic nerve injury in mice.

Brain research·2026
Same author

The second Cryptosporidium meeting: Edinburgh's parasite deep dive.

Trends in parasitology·2026
Same author

Structure of the proton-powered secretion motor at the heart of the bacterial flagellum.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Structure and substrate recognition by the bacterial twin-arginine translocation (Tat) core complex.

Nature microbiology·2026
Same author

Structural basis for transport and inhibition of nucleotide sugar transport in pathogenic fungi.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Vacuolar ATPase subunit Atp6v0c transgene promotes neuroprotection and long-distance axon regeneration in injured retinal ganglion neurons.

Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation
10:41

Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation

Published on: January 4, 2017

Specific DNA recognition mediated by a type IV pilin.

Ana Cehovin1, Peter J Simpson, Melanie A McDowell

  • 1Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 7, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Scientists identified how Neisseria meningitidis binds DNA for natural transformation. The minor pilin ComP on type IV pili selectively binds DNA, revealing a new mechanism for bacterial evolution and horizontal gene transfer.

More Related Videos

Analyzing DNA-Protein Interactions with Streptavidin-Based Biolayer Interferometry
08:07

Analyzing DNA-Protein Interactions with Streptavidin-Based Biolayer Interferometry

Published on: January 17, 2025

Stimulation of Cytoplasmic DNA Sensing Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo
11:44

Stimulation of Cytoplasmic DNA Sensing Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: September 18, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation
10:41

Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation

Published on: January 4, 2017

Analyzing DNA-Protein Interactions with Streptavidin-Based Biolayer Interferometry
08:07

Analyzing DNA-Protein Interactions with Streptavidin-Based Biolayer Interferometry

Published on: January 17, 2025

Stimulation of Cytoplasmic DNA Sensing Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo
11:44

Stimulation of Cytoplasmic DNA Sensing Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: September 18, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Natural transformation drives bacterial evolution and horizontal gene transfer, potentially spreading antibiotic resistance.
  • Uptake of foreign DNA is often harmful, leading bacteria to evolve mechanisms for selective DNA acquisition.
  • Neisseria meningitidis, a human pathogen, is a model for natural transformation, but its DNA uptake receptor remained unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the DNA receptor responsible for selective DNA uptake in Neisseria meningitidis.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of DNA binding during natural transformation.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular genetics
  • Structural biology
  • Filament surface analysis

Main Results:

  • Type IV pili, specifically the minor pilin ComP, bind DNA.
  • An electropositive stripe on ComP is exposed on the pilus surface and mediates DNA binding.
  • ComP exhibits a strong preference for the Neisseria DNA uptake sequence.

Conclusions:

  • The minor pilin ComP is the DNA receptor for natural transformation in Neisseria meningitidis.
  • DNA binding occurs via an unconventional electropositive stripe on ComP.
  • Selective DNA uptake mechanisms may be more common in bacteria than previously understood.