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

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both...

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins....

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.

Bacterial Transcription

Bacterial Transcription

RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

EDTA potentiates gentamicin and ofloxacin antibacterial activity against biofilms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius derived from canine superficial pyoderma.

Veterinary microbiology·2026

Same author

Arm and head domain in highly conserved lipoprotein modification enzyme Lgt determine functional diversity among bacterial pathogens.

mBio·2026

Same author

3D printed titanium anodized effects on human gingival fibroblasts response and bacterial colonization: A dual approach.

Dental materials : official publication of the Academy of Dental Materials·2026

Same author

Large extrachromosomal replicons are widespread across bacterial lineages and show coordinated replication termination and spatial coupling with the chromosome.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Evolution and diversity of oxidoreductases involved in redox balance and energy conservation.

Nature ecology & evolution·2026

Same author

Intermittent antibiotic exposure of Escherichia coli biofilms drives resistance in catheter-associated infection models.

NPJ biofilms and microbiomes·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Establishing Stable Binary Cultures of Symbiotic Saccharibacteria from the Oral Cavity

Establishing Stable Binary Cultures of Symbiotic Saccharibacteria from the Oral Cavity

Published on: April 13, 2021

Terrabacteria: redefining bacterial envelope diversity, biogenesis and evolution.

Basile Beaud Benyahia¹, Najwa Taib^1,2, Christophe Beloin³

¹Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.

Nature Reviews. Microbiology

|August 28, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The bacterial envelope evolved from a double-membrane structure, with the outer membrane (OM) lost multiple times, particularly in the Terrabacteria clade. This challenges the traditional Gram-positive/Gram-negative classification.

More Related Videos

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Establishing Stable Binary Cultures of Symbiotic Saccharibacteria from the Oral Cavity

Establishing Stable Binary Cultures of Symbiotic Saccharibacteria from the Oral Cavity

Published on: April 13, 2021

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Evolutionary Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

The bacterial envelope, crucial for cell survival, is classically divided into Gram-positive (monoderm) and Gram-negative (diderm) types.
Recent research suggests the last bacterial common ancestor possessed a diderm envelope, with monoderms arising from outer membrane (OM) loss.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the Terrabacteria clade, focusing on their cell envelope diversity.
To explore deviations from classical bacterial envelope models and insights into OM biogenesis.
To discuss the evolution of the bacterial envelope, including OM loss and emergence.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature and landmark studies on bacterial phylogeny and cell envelope structure.
Comparative analysis of OM biogenesis systems in Terrabacteria versus classical models.
Phylogenetic analysis to understand evolutionary trajectories of bacterial envelope types.

Main Results:

Terrabacteria exhibit significant phenotypic diversity in their cell envelopes, challenging the classical Gram-positive/Gram-negative dichotomy.
Distinct systems for OM biogenesis in Terrabacteria offer novel perspectives on envelope diversity.
Evidence suggests multiple independent losses of the OM within the Terrabacteria clade.

Conclusions:

The Terrabacteria clade displays remarkable cell envelope variability, necessitating a re-evaluation of traditional bacterial classification.
Understanding Terrabacteria's OM biogenesis provides critical insights into the evolution and diversity of bacterial envelopes.
The evolutionary history of the bacterial envelope likely involved the emergence of the OM before the last bacterial common ancestor and subsequent multiple losses.