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

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

92
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,...
92
Bacterial Signaling01:30

Bacterial Signaling

34.2K
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...
34.2K
Stringent Response in E. coli01:23

Stringent Response in E. coli

53
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
53
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

72
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...
72
Inducible Operons: lac Operon01:25

Inducible Operons: lac Operon

146
The lac operon in Escherichia coli is a model for understanding inducible gene regulation and metabolic flexibility. It integrates local control by lactose and global regulation through catabolite repression, enabling E. coli to preferentially metabolize glucose when available and switch to lactose utilization when glucose is scarce.Structure and Function of the lac OperonThe lac operon contains three structural genes: lacZ (β-galactosidase), lacY (lactose permease), and lacA...
146
Chemotaxis in E. coli01:27

Chemotaxis in E. coli

97
Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a sensory-driven motility mechanism that enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients, moving toward beneficial environments while avoiding harmful conditions. This process relies on a signal transduction system integrating external chemical cues with flagellar motor control.Chemoreceptors and Signal DetectionE. coli detects chemical gradients through methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which are membrane-bound chemoreceptors that sense attractants...
97

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Biodegradability of Acrylate-Lipoic Acid Copolymers.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Orthogonal quorum sensing circuits enable dynamic regulation in Escherichia coli.

Metabolic engineering·2026
Same author

Deciphering allosterism of an <i>Escherichia coli</i> hexuronate metabolism regulator: UxuR.

RSC medicinal chemistry·2025
Same author

Biosensor development for single-cell detection of glucuronate.

Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology·2023
Same author

Optimization of the Isopentenol Utilization Pathway for Isoprenoid Synthesis in <i>Escherichia coli</i>.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry·2022
Same author

Implementation of Synthetic Pathways to Foster Microbe-Based Production of Non-Naturally Occurring Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives.

Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Continuous Measurement of Biological Noise in Escherichia Coli Using Time-lapse Microscopy
08:25

Continuous Measurement of Biological Noise in Escherichia Coli Using Time-lapse Microscopy

Published on: April 27, 2021

3.8K

Engineered Gram-Positive Based Quorum Sensing for Metabolic Control in Escherichia coli.

Michael J Ream1, Kristala L J Prather1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.

ACS Synthetic Biology
|August 11, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Researchers engineered new quorum sensing (QS) systems for *Escherichia coli*, enhancing microbial communication. The Agr system successfully controlled gene expression to produce salicylic acid, showcasing its utility in synthetic biology.

Keywords:
autoinducing peptides (AIPs)dynamic regulationmetabolic engineeringmetabolic fluxquorum sensingsynthetic biology

More Related Videos

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds
07:23

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

Published on: August 8, 2025

259
Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases
07:47

Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases

Published on: January 1, 2016

11.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Continuous Measurement of Biological Noise in Escherichia Coli Using Time-lapse Microscopy
08:25

Continuous Measurement of Biological Noise in Escherichia Coli Using Time-lapse Microscopy

Published on: April 27, 2021

3.8K
Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds
07:23

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

Published on: August 8, 2025

259
Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases
07:47

Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases

Published on: January 1, 2016

11.7K

Area of Science:

  • Synthetic Biology
  • Microbial Engineering
  • Genetic Circuit Design

Background:

  • Quorum sensing (QS) enables microbial communities to coordinate behavior based on population density.
  • Existing QS systems for engineering are limited, necessitating the exploration of novel circuits.
  • Gram-positive QS systems offer potential for expanded regulatory control in bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer and optimize Gram-positive quorum sensing systems (Agr and Com) for use in *Escherichia coli*.
  • To enhance the functionality and dynamic range of these QS circuits.
  • To demonstrate the application of an engineered QS system for metabolic pathway regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Implementation of Agr (from *Staphylococcus aureus*) and Com (from *Bacillus subtilis*) QS systems in *Escherichia coli*.
  • Modification of circuit component expression to improve system performance.
  • CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) was used to downregulate specific endogenous genes via the Agr system.

Main Results:

  • Both engineered QS systems exhibited tight control over their target promoters.
  • The Com system achieved a dynamic range of 2.27 ± 0.05.
  • The improved Agr system reached a dynamic range of 4.05 ± 0.43.
  • Application of the Agr system successfully downregulated *tyrA*, *pheA*, *trpE*, *ppc*, and *pabB* genes.
  • Engineered *E. coli* produced salicylic acid by redirecting metabolic flux, validating the Agr system's regulatory capability.

Conclusions:

  • Engineered Agr and Com QS systems provide robust and tunable genetic control in *E. coli*.
  • The Agr system demonstrates significant potential for applications in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
  • This work expands the toolkit of available QS systems for microbial engineering applications.