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

Parental Care00:55

Parental Care

13.2K
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
13.2K
Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

4.6K
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
4.6K
Distributed Loads01:19

Distributed Loads

1.1K
Distributed loads are a common type of load that engineers and scientists encounter in various practical situations. Distributed loads often refer to a type of load spread over a surface or a structure and can be modeled as continuous force per unit area.
For example, consider a bookshelf filled with books stacked vertically adjacent to each other. The weight of the books is evenly distributed over the length of the shelf. As a result, the pressure at different locations on the surface of the...
1.1K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

4.6K
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
4.6K
Fetal Circulation01:14

Fetal Circulation

5.0K
Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
5.0K
Development of the Oral Microbiota01:28

Development of the Oral Microbiota

46
The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...
46

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Biosynthetic gene clusters in <i>Pseudomonas viridiflava</i> have a fitness cost during <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> infection.

mSystems·2026
Same author

Seasonality, land use and plant community diversity shape microbiome-pathogen interactions in wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same author

PLANeT: Understanding and leveraging the genome of land plants for a sustainable future.

Cell·2026
Same author

Rapid adaptation and extinction in synchronized outdoor evolution experiments of <i>Arabidopsis</i>.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Multiple redundant mechanisms account for the majority of gene silencing downstream of DNA methylation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Beyond Mendel: a call to revisit the genotype-phenotype map through new experimental paradigms.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

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

Cell·2026
Same journal

Systematic discovery of pathogen effector functions across human pathogens and pathways.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Structural basis for host membrane binding and remodeling by invading malaria parasites.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Multiscale integration of tissue and chromatin context converts cell heterogeneity into stable intestinal patterning.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Arc mediates intercellular tau transmission via extracellular vesicles.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Electromagnetic field-inducible in vivo gene switch for remote spatiotemporal control of gene expression.

Cell·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
06:55

Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus

Published on: December 5, 2015

14.3K

A tiny helper lightens the maternal load.

Detlef Weigel1, Elisa Izaurralde

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. weigel@weigelworld.org

Cell
|March 28, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A microRNA, not a protein, destroys maternal mRNAs during early animal development. This microRNA is transcribed at the mid-blastula transition, solving a key developmental puzzle.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model
04:20

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model

Published on: July 12, 2024

3.0K
Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

997

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
06:55

Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus

Published on: December 5, 2015

14.3K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model
04:20

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model

Published on: July 12, 2024

3.0K
Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

997

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Early animal embryogenesis involves precise regulation of gene expression.
  • The mid-blastula transition (MBT) is a critical stage where zygotic gene activation begins.
  • Coordinated destruction of maternal messenger RNAs (mRNAs) occurs at the MBT, but the mechanism was unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the molecular agent responsible for the coordinated destruction of maternal mRNAs.
  • To elucidate the mechanism controlling mRNA degradation at the mid-blastula transition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of gene expression patterns during early embryogenesis.
  • Identification and characterization of small non-coding RNAs.
  • Functional assays to determine the role of identified RNAs in mRNA degradation.

Main Results:

  • A specific microRNA was identified as the key factor.
  • This microRNA is transcribed precisely at the mid-blastula transition.
  • The microRNA directly mediates the degradation of numerous maternal mRNAs.

Conclusions:

  • A microRNA, not a protein, orchestrates maternal mRNA clearance at the mid-blastula transition.
  • This finding reveals a novel regulatory mechanism in early animal development.
  • The study solves a long-standing puzzle in developmental biology.