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

Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

9.7K
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...
9.7K
Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches01:23

Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches

718
Riboswitches are RNA elements that regulate gene expression by altering their secondary structures in response to specific effector molecules. These elements, located in the leader regions of certain mRNAs, act as transcriptional regulators by toggling between alternative conformations to control downstream gene expression. Riboswitch-mediated regulation is a precise mechanism for modulating biosynthetic pathways, as exemplified by the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway in Bacillus...
718
The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength02:18

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

15.1K
The equilibrium binding constant (Kb) quantifies the strength of a protein-ligand interaction. Kb can be calculated as follows when the reaction is at equilibrium:
15.1K
The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength02:18

The Equilibrium Binding Constant and Binding Strength

10.1K
10.1K
Ligand Binding Sites02:40

Ligand Binding Sites

15.1K
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
15.1K
Ligand Binding and Linkage00:49

Ligand Binding and Linkage

5.6K
Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked.  In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence...
5.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Exploiting conformational changes in a caffeine aptamer to engineer synthetic RNA devices.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

The interaction between the RNA aptamer Dap1 and DasR mirrors DNA operator site recognition in GntR repressors.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Iterative design of a NAND hybrid riboswitch by deep batch Bayesian optimization.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Beyond the niche - unlocking the full potential of synthetic riboswitches.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Structural basis for ligand recognition in the tobramycin riboswitch.

Nucleic acids research·2025
Same author

Control of ALOX5 expression in monocytic cells using a synthetic riboswitch.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids·2025
Same journal

Morphotype-specific susceptibility to <i>Neosartorya</i> (<i>Aspergillus</i>) <i>fischeri</i> antifungal protein 2 is associated with an anabolic transcriptional signature in <i>Candida</i>.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same journal

High abundance of <i>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</i> in slaty-backed gull breeding in Northern Japan.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same journal

Rhein reduces conjugation of IncFII-type plasmids in <i>Escherichia coli</i> and mitigates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same journal

Phenotypic discordance in rifampicin resistance detection among <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> isolates from China: insights from whole-genome sequencing and a structured literature review.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same journal

Identification of protein secretion systems and type III effectors in wood-associated bacteria of the genus <i>Xylophilus</i>.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same journal

Intraspecific diversity of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> populations isolated from cystic fibrosis respiratory infections.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Visualization of Surface-tethered Large DNA Molecules with a Fluorescent Protein DNA Binding Peptide
08:51

Visualization of Surface-tethered Large DNA Molecules with a Fluorescent Protein DNA Binding Peptide

Published on: June 23, 2016

11.3K

Small-Molecule-Binding Riboswitches.

Thea S Lotz1, Beatrix Suess1

  • 1Synthetic Genetic Circuits, Department of Biology, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.

Microbiology Spectrum
|August 8, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Riboswitches are RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding small molecules. This review summarizes recent advances in riboswitch research, highlighting their conserved role in cellular metabolism and potential for synthetic biology applications.

More Related Videos

Identification of Small Molecule-binding Proteins in a Native Cellular Environment by Live-cell Photoaffinity Labeling
10:49

Identification of Small Molecule-binding Proteins in a Native Cellular Environment by Live-cell Photoaffinity Labeling

Published on: September 20, 2016

13.3K
Preparation of Multifunctional Silk-Based Microcapsules Loaded with DNA Plasmids Encoding RNA Aptamers and Riboswitches
10:07

Preparation of Multifunctional Silk-Based Microcapsules Loaded with DNA Plasmids Encoding RNA Aptamers and Riboswitches

Published on: October 8, 2021

1.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Visualization of Surface-tethered Large DNA Molecules with a Fluorescent Protein DNA Binding Peptide
08:51

Visualization of Surface-tethered Large DNA Molecules with a Fluorescent Protein DNA Binding Peptide

Published on: June 23, 2016

11.3K
Identification of Small Molecule-binding Proteins in a Native Cellular Environment by Live-cell Photoaffinity Labeling
10:49

Identification of Small Molecule-binding Proteins in a Native Cellular Environment by Live-cell Photoaffinity Labeling

Published on: September 20, 2016

13.3K
Preparation of Multifunctional Silk-Based Microcapsules Loaded with DNA Plasmids Encoding RNA Aptamers and Riboswitches
10:07

Preparation of Multifunctional Silk-Based Microcapsules Loaded with DNA Plasmids Encoding RNA Aptamers and Riboswitches

Published on: October 8, 2021

1.8K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Synthetic Biology

Background:

  • Riboswitches are RNA molecules that control gene expression through ligand binding.
  • They are highly conserved across all domains of life and regulate diverse metabolic pathways.
  • Riboswitches act as an RNA-only regulatory system, sensing and transducing signals coupled to cellular metabolism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent developments in riboswitch research over the past decade.
  • To address key questions and highlight emerging trends in the field.
  • To underscore the potential of riboswitches in synthetic biology.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on riboswitches.
  • Analysis of the mechanisms of ligand binding and conformational changes in riboswitches.
  • Discussion of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method for aptamer discovery.

Main Results:

  • Riboswitches exhibit specific binding of small-molecule ligands to their aptamer domains, inducing conformational changes in the expression platform.
  • These conformational changes alter gene expression patterns, leading to modulated protein production.
  • The SELEX method enables the in vitro evolution of specific RNA aptamers, which can be coupled with expression platforms to create synthetic riboswitches.

Conclusions:

  • Riboswitches represent a potent and elegant RNA-only regulatory mechanism with significant implications for understanding cellular processes.
  • Synthetic riboswitches, developed through aptamer engineering, hold immense potential for diverse applications in biotechnology and medicine.
  • Continued research into riboswitches promises further insights into gene regulation and the development of novel molecular tools.