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

Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

32.9K
Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
32.9K
Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

12.0K
12.0K
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens01:31

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens

2.9K
The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
2.9K
Thermometers and Temperature Scales01:22

Thermometers and Temperature Scales

7.8K
Any physical property that depends consistently and reproducibly on temperature can be used as the basis of a thermometer. For example, volume increases with temperature for most substances. This property is the basis for the common alcohol thermometer and the original mercury thermometers. Other properties used to measure temperature include electrical resistance, color, and the emission of infrared radiation.
As many physical properties depend on temperature, the variety of thermometers is...
7.8K
Gas Thermometers and the Kelvin Scale01:22

Gas Thermometers and the Kelvin Scale

6.5K
The definition of temperature in terms of molecular motion suggests that there should be a lowest possible temperature, where the average kinetic energy of molecules is zero (or the minimum allowed by quantum mechanics). Experiments confirm the existence of such a temperature, called absolute zero. An absolute temperature scale is one whose zero point is absolute zero. Such scales are convenient in science because several physical quantities, such as the volume of an ideal gas, are directly...
6.5K
Transfer RNA Synthesis02:36

Transfer RNA Synthesis

13.4K
One of the unique features of tRNA is the presence of modified bases. In some tRNAs, modified bases account for nearly 20% of the total bases in the molecule. Altogether, these unusual bases protect the tRNA from enzymatic degradation by RNases.
Each of these chemical modifications is carried by a specific enzyme, post-transcription. All of these enzymes have unique base and site-specificity. Methylation, the most common chemical modification, is carried by at least nine different enzymes, with...
13.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Antibody Titres to Strangvac<sup>®</sup> Antigens Correlate with Protection and Duration of Immunity Against Experimental Infection with <i>Streptococcus equi</i> Subspecies <i>equi</i>.

Vaccines·2026
Same author

Deep learning-enabled discovery of antibiotics effective against <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>.

Science translational medicine·2026
Same author

From urge to action: an integrative neuropsychological model of tic generation in Tourette syndrome.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2026
Same author

Pneumococcal membrane particles promote serotype-independent cellular and humoral immunity and protect against pneumococcal colonization.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Toward understanding the catalytic mechanism for two classes of bacterial phospholipid N-methyltransferases.

The FEBS journal·2026
Same author

Fis suppresses late-stage virulence gene expression in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis at environmental temperatures.

PLoS pathogens·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Invasion of Human Cells by a Bacterial Pathogen
07:15

Invasion of Human Cells by a Bacterial Pathogen

Published on: March 21, 2011

35.4K

RNA Thermometers in Bacterial Pathogens.

Edmund Loh1,2, Francesco Righetti1, Hannes Eichner1

  • 1Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.

Microbiology Spectrum
|April 7, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Microbial pathogens use RNA thermometers (RNATs) to regulate gene expression in response to temperature changes. These RNA structures control translation, enabling pathogens to adapt to host environments.

More Related Videos

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies
12:54

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies

Published on: February 13, 2015

19.0K
A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia
13:45

A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia

Published on: September 21, 2019

6.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Invasion of Human Cells by a Bacterial Pathogen
07:15

Invasion of Human Cells by a Bacterial Pathogen

Published on: March 21, 2011

35.4K
Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies
12:54

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies

Published on: February 13, 2015

19.0K
A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia
13:45

A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia

Published on: September 21, 2019

6.1K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Microbial pathogens face temperature fluctuations when entering a host.
  • Pathogens require mechanisms to sense and adapt to host body temperature for survival.
  • RNA thermometers (RNATs) are mRNA structures that regulate translation efficiency in response to temperature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on virulence-related RNA thermometers (RNATs).
  • To discuss recent advancements in understanding RNATs in microbial pathogens.
  • To highlight the role of RNATs in pathogen adaptation to host temperature.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on RNA thermometers and virulence.
  • Analysis of the mechanism by which RNATs sense and respond to temperature.
  • Discussion of the role of RNATs in modulating translation initiation.

Main Results:

  • RNA thermometers (RNATs) enable pathogens to rapidly adjust gene expression upon temperature shifts.
  • At low temperatures, RNATs fold to block ribosome access, inhibiting translation.
  • Upon entering a host, temperature increases destabilize RNATs, allowing ribosome binding and translation.
  • This reversible mechanism fine-tunes virulence gene expression during host entry and exit.

Conclusions:

  • RNA thermometers are crucial for microbial pathogens to adapt to host body temperature.
  • The zipper-like mechanism of RNATs provides a rapid and reversible control of virulence gene expression.
  • Further research into RNATs can reveal new strategies for combating infectious diseases.