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

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,...

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...

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...

Inhibition of CDK Activity

Inhibition of CDK Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...

Global Regulatory Systems

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

A Review of Probiotic Interventions for Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Sepsis in Preterm Infants.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026

Same author

Complete mitochondrial genome of the stingless bee Geniotrigona thoracica (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): presence of genome duplication, heteroplasmy and inverted repeats.

Molecular biology reports·2026

Same author

Preliminary genomic assessment of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 isolates in Malaysia.

BMC genomic data·2026

Same author

Thermophiles in the genomic Era (2015-2025): a review on biodiversity, metagenome-assembled genomes, and future directions.

Critical reviews in microbiology·2026

Same author

Fungi dominate eukaryotic microbial assemblages in hot spring biofilms of East and Southeast Asia.

Environmental microbiome·2025

Same author

The therapeutic readiness of probiotics in major depressive disorder: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Published on: August 8, 2025

Caffeine as a potential quorum sensing inhibitor.

Siti Nur Maisarah Norizan¹, Wai-Fong Yin, Kok-Gan Chan

¹Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. maisarahnorizan@siswa.um.edu.my

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)

|April 20, 2013

Summary

Caffeine acts as a quorum sensing inhibitor, reducing N-acyl homoserine lactone production and swarming in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This discovery opens avenues for exploring caffeine as a novel anti-infective agent.

More Related Videos

Caffeine Extraction, Enzymatic Activity and Gene Expression of Caffeine Synthase from Plant Cell Suspensions

Caffeine Extraction, Enzymatic Activity and Gene Expression of Caffeine Synthase from Plant Cell Suspensions

Published on: October 2, 2018

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Published on: May 31, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Published on: August 8, 2025

Caffeine Extraction, Enzymatic Activity and Gene Expression of Caffeine Synthase from Plant Cell Suspensions

Caffeine Extraction, Enzymatic Activity and Gene Expression of Caffeine Synthase from Plant Cell Suspensions

Published on: October 2, 2018

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Published on: May 31, 2024

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Bacteriology
Pharmacology

Background:

Quorum sensing regulates bacterial gene expression based on cell density.
This cell-to-cell communication controls critical functions like biofilm formation and virulence.
Inhibiting quorum sensing is a promising strategy for combating bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate caffeine's potential as a quorum sensing inhibitor.
To evaluate caffeine's effect on N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) production and bacterial swarming.
To explore caffeine as a novel anti-infective agent.

Main Methods:

Utilized Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 as a biosensor to test caffeine's quorum sensing inhibitory activity.
Assessed caffeine's impact on N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) production.
Examined caffeine's effect on the swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01.

Main Results:

Caffeine demonstrated quorum sensing inhibitory activity.
Caffeine was confirmed not to degrade tested N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs).
Caffeine significantly inhibited AHL production and swarming in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01.

Conclusions:

This study provides the first evidence of anti-quorum sensing activity in caffeine.
Caffeine's ability to inhibit quorum sensing and swarming suggests its potential as an anti-infective drug.
Further research into caffeine-based anti-infective therapies is warranted.