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

The Calvin Benson Cycle01:46

The Calvin Benson Cycle

Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...
Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants01:23

Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants


Ganglionic stimulants activate NM nicotinic receptors in autonomic ganglia, falling into two categories: nicotine mimetics [e.g., lobeline, dimethylpiperazine, tetramethylammonium] and muscarinic receptor agonists [e.g., muscarine, methacholine]. The first category's action is rapid and blocked by nicotinic receptor antagonists, while the second category's action is delayed and blocked by atropine-like agents. Nicotine, an alkaloid, affects the heart rate by stimulating sympathetic or...
Biosynthesis in Bacteria01:24

Biosynthesis in Bacteria

Biosynthesis in bacteria is a fundamental anabolic process that generates essential macromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and polysaccharides. These macromolecules are critical for cellular growth, replication, and function. The process is tightly regulated and energetically linked to catabolic pathways to ensure optimal resource utilization.Biosynthetic pathways begin with precursor metabolites such as pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, and glucose-6-phosphate derived from glycolysis,...
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways01:29

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which provide...
Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids01:28

Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acid biosynthesis is a fundamental biochemical process that produces the purine and pyrimidine nucleotides essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. This pathway maintains a balanced nucleotide pool, preventing imbalances that could jeopardize genetic integrity and cellular function. Given the crucial role of nucleotides, their synthesis is tightly regulated to ensure proper cellular homeostasis.Purine BiosynthesisThe biosynthesis of purine nucleotides begins with ribose-5-phosphate, a...
Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, which...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> small colony variants originating from the lower respiratory tract are associated with persistent pulmonary infection.

Frontiers in immunology·2026
Same author

Intrauterine exposure to HBeAg exerts modest effect on neonatal immune repertoire.

Antiviral research·2026
Same author

Wafer-Scale Heterogeneous Integration of High-Resolution Micro-LED Displays with Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

SIRT7 Promotes Hepatitis B Virus Transcription via the Upregulation of DDB1 Expression and Facilitation of DDB1 Recruitment to Covalently Closed Circular DNA.

Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition)·2026
Same author

Single-cell transcriptome analyses reveal disturbed decidual microenvironment in women of advanced maternal age.

Clinical and translational medicine·2025
Same author

Preparation of carbon sphere/nickel/boron doped diamond electrode for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of estriol.

Talanta·2025
Same journal

A viral ORFeome library for systems-level genetic dissection of host-pathogen interactions.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Co-option of lysosomal machinery shapes the evolution of the intracellular photosymbiosis supporting coral reefs.

Cell·2026
Same journal

LEF1 and niche factors determine T cell stemness across chronic diseases.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Recurrent patterns of TOP1-mediated neuronal genomic damage shared by major neurodegenerative disorders.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Four-dimensional molecular mapping from a spatial snapshot reveals the dynamics of hair follicle organogenesis.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Whole-cell particle-based digital twin simulations from 4D lattice light-sheet microscopy data.

Cell·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Transcript and Metabolite Profiling for the Evaluation of Tobacco Tree and Poplar as Feedstock for the Bio-based Industry
10:50

Transcript and Metabolite Profiling for the Evaluation of Tobacco Tree and Poplar as Feedstock for the Bio-based Industry

Published on: May 16, 2014

Complete biosynthesis of nicotine.

Lijing Chang1, Zhen Xu1, Purong Deng1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.

Cell
|April 3, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers have elucidated the complete enzymatic pathway for nicotine biosynthesis, identifying key enzymes and a crucial metabolon. This discovery advances our understanding of alkaloid formation and engineering pest resistance in plants.

Keywords:
alkaloidsmetabolic pathwaymetabolomicsmetabolonmulti-omicsnicotineplant defenseplant-specialized metabolite biosynthesissynthetic biology

More Related Videos

Transient Expression in Nicotiana Benthamiana Leaves for Triterpene Production at a Preparative Scale
08:56

Transient Expression in Nicotiana Benthamiana Leaves for Triterpene Production at a Preparative Scale

Published on: August 16, 2018

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
07:59

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

Published on: October 4, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Transcript and Metabolite Profiling for the Evaluation of Tobacco Tree and Poplar as Feedstock for the Bio-based Industry
10:50

Transcript and Metabolite Profiling for the Evaluation of Tobacco Tree and Poplar as Feedstock for the Bio-based Industry

Published on: May 16, 2014

Transient Expression in Nicotiana Benthamiana Leaves for Triterpene Production at a Preparative Scale
08:56

Transient Expression in Nicotiana Benthamiana Leaves for Triterpene Production at a Preparative Scale

Published on: August 16, 2018

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
07:59

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

Published on: October 4, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Plant Science
  • Organic Chemistry

Background:

  • Nicotine is a key alkaloid in tobacco with historical and agricultural significance.
  • The precise enzymatic steps and reaction mechanisms in nicotine biosynthesis have remained largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To fully elucidate the enzymatic pathway and reaction mechanisms of nicotine biosynthesis.
  • To identify the molecular machinery responsible for nicotine production and transport.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro and in vivo reconstitution of a 5-component metabolon at vacuolar membranes.
  • Biochemical assays to characterize enzyme activities and reaction intermediates.
  • Heterologous expression of pathway components in plant species.

Main Results:

  • Identified a 5-component metabolon essential for nicotine biosynthesis and transport.
  • Determined the roles of UDP-glycosyltransferase, A622, berberine bridge enzyme-like (BBL), and β-glucosidase in the pathway.
  • Demonstrated that a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporter is crucial for efficient nicotine production and pest resistance engineering.

Conclusions:

  • The complete nicotine biosynthesis pathway has been elucidated.
  • The study reveals a fundamental intermolecular Mannich-like reaction mechanism for alkaloid scaffold formation.
  • Engineering nicotine production via MATE transporters offers a strategy for conferring pest resistance in plants.