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

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
Lineage Commitment01:21

Lineage Commitment

Commitment is the  process whereby stem cells:
Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells01:32

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells

Chromatin modification alters gene expression; therefore, scientists can add histone-modifying enzymes, histone variants, and chromatin remodeling complexes to somatic cells to aid reprogramming into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
Combinatorial Gene Control02:33

Combinatorial Gene Control

Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

PRC2 loss impairs small cell lung cancer tumorigenesis and enhances sensitivity to G9a/GLP inhibition.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Combination of EZH2 and ATM inhibition in BAP1-deficient mesothelioma.

British journal of cancer·2024
Same author

Retinoids and EZH2 inhibitors cooperate to orchestrate anti-oncogenic effects on bladder cancer cells.

Cancer gene therapy·2024
Same author

Combined Inhibition of EZH2 and FGFR is Synergistic in BAP1-deficient Malignant Mesothelioma.

Cancer research communications·2023
Same author

Genetic screens reveal new targetable vulnerabilities in BAP1-deficient mesothelioma.

Cell reports. Medicine·2023
Same author

Combined inhibition of EZH2 and ATM is synthetic lethal in BRCA1-deficient breast cancer.

Breast cancer research : BCR·2022
Same journal

Mechanosensing in immune cells: Implications for migration and beyond.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Emerging role of organelles in cell migration.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Nuclear adaptation in cell migration.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Patterns in motion: Choreographing dynamic cell behaviours during tissue repair.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Quo vadis reconstituted cell surfaces? Purpose and future perspectives for minimal systems of the cell plasma membrane.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Nuclear determinants of mRNA and protein isoforms.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
08:01

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal

Published on: May 30, 2012

Stem cell regulation by polycomb repressors: postponing commitment.

Alexandra M Pietersen1, Maarten van Lohuizen

  • 1Netherlands Cancer Institute, Molecular Genetics, P1, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.pietersen@nki.nl

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|February 23, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polycomb group proteins (PcGs) maintain stem cell pluripotency by establishing bivalent domains on developmental genes. Resolving these domains into active or repressed states drives cell fate decisions during differentiation.

More Related Videos

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
10:28

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers

Published on: September 20, 2018

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C
11:53

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C

Published on: June 1, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
08:01

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal

Published on: May 30, 2012

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
10:28

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers

Published on: September 20, 2018

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C
11:53

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C

Published on: June 1, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics and gene regulation
  • Developmental biology
  • Stem cell biology

Background:

  • Polycomb group proteins (PcGs) are crucial epigenetic regulators involved in gene silencing.
  • PcGs are essential for maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic and adult stem cells.
  • PcG targets are primarily developmental transcription factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Polycomb group proteins in stem cell pluripotency.
  • To elucidate the function of bivalent domains in developmental gene regulation.
  • To propose a model for how PcGs contribute to cell fate decisions.

Main Methods:

  • Genome-wide studies to identify PcG-targeted genes.
  • Analysis of chromatin marks (repressive and activating) on target genes.
  • Examination of gene expression patterns during stem cell differentiation.

Main Results:

  • PcG-targeted genes in embryonic stem cells often exhibit bivalent domains, carrying both repressive and activating marks.
  • Genes with bivalent domains are poised for differential expression upon differentiation.
  • The resolution of bivalent domains correlates with cell fate decisions.

Conclusions:

  • Polycomb group proteins maintain pluripotency by keeping developmental genes in a poised, bivalent state.
  • The transition from a bivalent domain to a mono-valent state represents a critical cell fate commitment.
  • PcG-mediated postponement of these decisions is key to stem cell pluripotency.