Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...

In vitro Mutagenesis

In vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

In-vitro Mutagenesis

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

Teratogenicity

Teratogenicity

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...

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Trends in EU regulatory assessment of oncology medicines.

ESMO open·2026

Same author

Extreme wave excitation from localized phase-shift perturbations.

Physical review. E·2022

Same author

The European Medicines Agency review of sacituzumab govitecan for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

ESMO open·2022

Same author

Conductance heterogeneities induced by multistability in the dynamics of coupled cardiac gap junctions.

Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)·2021

Same author

The EMA assessment of avapritinib in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours harbouring the PDGFRA D842V mutation.

ESMO open·2021

Same author

The EMA assessment of pembrolizumab as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer.

ESMO open·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

In Situ Labeling of Mitochondrial DNA Replication in Drosophila Adult Ovaries by EdU Staining

In Situ Labeling of Mitochondrial DNA Replication in Drosophila Adult Ovaries by EdU Staining

Published on: October 15, 2016

Carcinogen-induced Mitochondrial DNA Damage in the In Ovo Model.

A Witt¹, H J Ahr, S Brendler-Schwaab

¹Preclinical PharmacokineticsGermany.

Toxicology in Vitro : an International Journal Published in Association with BIBRA

|July 27, 2010

Summary

This study shows that exposing turkey eggs to diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in ovo can induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. This inexpensive method effectively tests for carcinogenic potential by observing changes in embryonic liver mtDNA.

More Related Videos

An In Vitro Approach to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Cybrid Model

An In Vitro Approach to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Cybrid Model

Published on: March 9, 2022

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: March 17, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

In Situ Labeling of Mitochondrial DNA Replication in Drosophila Adult Ovaries by EdU Staining

In Situ Labeling of Mitochondrial DNA Replication in Drosophila Adult Ovaries by EdU Staining

Published on: October 15, 2016

An In Vitro Approach to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Cybrid Model

An In Vitro Approach to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Cybrid Model

Published on: March 9, 2022

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: March 17, 2023

Area of Science:

Toxicology
Molecular Biology
Carcinogenesis Research

Background:

The avian in ovo model offers a sensitive, cost-effective system for carcinogenicity testing.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may be more susceptible to DNA damage than nuclear DNA, making it a potential biomarker for carcinogenic effects.
Previous studies demonstrated preneoplastic liver lesions and mtDNA alterations in turkey embryos after experimental exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize in ovo mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage induced by chemical exposure.
To evaluate the utility of the avian in ovo system for detecting genotoxicity.
To investigate the effects of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) on embryonic turkey liver mtDNA.

Main Methods:

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was applied to the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of avian embryos.
Autoradiography was used to track the distribution of a model substance after CAM application.
Gel electrophoresis analyzed isolated mtDNA to detect damage after DEN exposure.

Main Results:

DEN application led to dose-dependent alterations in mtDNA conformation.
A shift from supercoiled to relaxed mtDNA shape was observed, indicating potential single-strand breaks.
The study confirmed the sensitivity of the in ovo system for detecting chemical-induced mtDNA damage.

Conclusions:

The avian in ovo model is a valuable tool for assessing the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of substances.
Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induces detectable damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in embryonic turkey livers.
Changes in mtDNA conformation serve as an indicator of chemical-induced DNA damage in vivo.