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

Antimicrobial Proteins01:23

Antimicrobial Proteins

12.7K
Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
12.7K
Microbial Nutrition01:28

Microbial Nutrition

824
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
824
The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin01:28

The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin

4.5K
Essential proteins such as insulin or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and micronutrients such as iron enter a eukaryotic cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, the early endosomes fuse with the vesicles containing such receptor-ligand complexes and play a vital role in sorting the incoming ligands and receptors. While the ligands are either degraded inside the vesicle or released into the cytosol, their receptors are returned to the plasma membrane for further rounds of...
4.5K
Protein-protein Interfaces02:04

Protein-protein Interfaces

14.3K
Many proteins form complexes to carry out their functions, making protein-protein interactions (PPIs) essential for an organism's survival. Most PPIs are stabilized by numerous weak noncovalent chemical forces. The physical shape of the interfaces determines the way two proteins interact. Many globular proteins have closely-matching shapes on their surfaces, which form a large number of weak bonds. Additionally, many PPIs occur between two helices or between a surface cleft and a...
14.3K
Protein-Protein Interfaces02:04

Protein-Protein Interfaces

4.3K
4.3K
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

5.8K
Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
5.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Predicting competition and substrate preferences for targeted microbiome alteration.

Cell·2026
Same author

A searchable metadata network graph for microbiome metabolomics.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Siderophore-Pt(IV) Conjugates as Tools to Probe Cytoplasmic Cargo Delivery to Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

METTL9 tests Candida's mettle by limiting metal acquisition.

Cell host & microbe·2026
Same author

A resource to empirically establish drug exposure records directly from untargeted metabolomics data.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Microbiome-derived bile acid signatures in early life and their association with islet autoimmunity.

Nature communications·2025
Same journal

Toward molecular and pathology-confirmed completeness in advanced ovarian cancer cytoreduction: Intraoperative molecular imaging and integrated theranostic strategies.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same journal

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in chronic liver disease: Mechanisms driving hepatocellular carcinoma progression and therapeutic implications of Chinese medicine.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same journal

Mechanisms of resistance to androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same journal

Extracellular vesicles and their cargo molecules for peripheral nerve injuries and neuropathies: The composition, properties, and impact.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same journal

Unravelling the mystery of hypoxia-induced miRNAs in breast cancer: A molecular cross-talk driving tumour progression and therapy resistance.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same journal

Decoding the dialogue: The vagus nerve at the interface of brain, body, and Tumor.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 10, 2025

High Resolution Electron Microscopy of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System Pili Produced in Varying Conditions of Iron Availability
09:05

High Resolution Electron Microscopy of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System Pili Produced in Varying Conditions of Iron Availability

Published on: November 21, 2014

15.7K

Iron at the host-microbe interface.

Romana R Gerner1, Sean-Paul Nuccio2, Manuela Raffatellu3

  • 1Division of Host-Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Division of Internal Medicine I, Department of Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.

Molecular Aspects of Medicine
|September 5, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbes and hosts engage in an intense battle for iron, an essential nutrient. This review focuses on how microbes and mammals compete for iron, especially on mucosal surfaces.

More Related Videos

Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source
06:37

Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source

Published on: February 7, 2013

17.0K
Essential Metal Uptake in Gram-negative Bacteria: X-ray Fluorescence, Radioisotopes, and Cell Fractionation
10:34

Essential Metal Uptake in Gram-negative Bacteria: X-ray Fluorescence, Radioisotopes, and Cell Fractionation

Published on: February 1, 2018

9.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 10, 2025

High Resolution Electron Microscopy of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System Pili Produced in Varying Conditions of Iron Availability
09:05

High Resolution Electron Microscopy of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System Pili Produced in Varying Conditions of Iron Availability

Published on: November 21, 2014

15.7K
Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source
06:37

Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source

Published on: February 7, 2013

17.0K
Essential Metal Uptake in Gram-negative Bacteria: X-ray Fluorescence, Radioisotopes, and Cell Fractionation
10:34

Essential Metal Uptake in Gram-negative Bacteria: X-ray Fluorescence, Radioisotopes, and Cell Fractionation

Published on: February 1, 2018

9.5K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Biochemistry
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Iron is vital for nearly all organisms, playing key roles in redox reactions and metalloprotein functions.
  • Free iron bioavailability is critically low in host environments, making it a focal point of host-microbe competition.
  • Mucosal surfaces are constantly exposed to microorganisms, necessitating robust host defense mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the mechanisms involved in the host-microbe iron "tug-of-war" on mucosal surfaces.
  • To highlight strategies employed by both hosts and microbes in this nutrient competition.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on iron acquisition and limitation.
  • Focus on mechanisms relevant to mucosal surfaces, including respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

Main Results:

  • Mammalian hosts employ iron deprivation as a primary antimicrobial defense strategy.
  • Pathogenic and commensal microorganisms have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to overcome host-imposed iron limitation.
  • This competition is particularly significant on mucosal surfaces due to constant microbial exposure.

Conclusions:

  • The struggle for iron is a fundamental aspect of host-microbe interactions, especially at mucosal interfaces.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing strategies against microbial infections and maintaining host health.