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Related Concept Videos

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...
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...

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The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

Polycomb group gene expression in the sea urchin.

Eric A Gustafson1, Gary M Wessel

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.

Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists
|June 4, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Polycomb group (PcG) genes are crucial for embryonic development, showing conserved expression patterns in sea urchin embryos. Their localized transcripts and decreasing levels suggest active roles in early development and differentiation.

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High Throughput Microinjections of Sea Urchin Zygotes
12:40

High Throughput Microinjections of Sea Urchin Zygotes

Published on: January 21, 2014

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Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

High Throughput Microinjections of Sea Urchin Zygotes
12:40

High Throughput Microinjections of Sea Urchin Zygotes

Published on: January 21, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Marine Biology

Background:

  • Metazoan embryonic development relies on genetic and epigenetic regulation.
  • Polycomb group (PcG) genes are key regulators of epigenetic processes.
  • Understanding PcG gene conservation and function provides insights into developmental mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify homologous Polycomb group (PcG) genes in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.
  • To analyze the temporal and spatial expression patterns of these PcG genes during embryonic development.
  • To investigate the role of PcG genes in early sea urchin embryogenesis and germ layer specification.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of core PcG gene components homologous to known Polycomb repressive complexes.
  • Quantitative, temporal, and spatial expression analyses of PcG gene transcripts.
  • Analysis of PcG gene expression during sea urchin embryonic stages (mesenchyme blastula, gastrula, pluteus).

Main Results:

  • Homologous PcG genes for three Polycomb repressive complexes were identified in S. purpuratus.
  • Most PcG genes exhibited localized expression in mesenchyme blastula and gastrula embryos.
  • PcG transcript levels decreased progressively during larval pluteus stages, correlating with cell differentiation.

Conclusions:

  • PcG genes are conserved in the sea urchin S. purpuratus.
  • PcG genes are actively expressed during early sea urchin embryogenesis.
  • Localized expression and decreasing transcript levels suggest a role in stem cell maintenance and differentiation.