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

Imprinting

Imprinting

Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...

Mouse Models of Cancer Study

Mouse Models of Cancer Study

Mice have long served as models for studying human biology and pathology because of their phylogenetic and physiological similarity with humans. They are also easy to maintain and breed in the laboratory, and hence, many inbred strains are now available for research. Studies on mice have contributed immeasurably to our understanding of cancer biology.
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Placental defects revealed by modelling PWS in mice.

Disease models & mechanisms·2026

Same author

Deficiency of the paternally-expressed imprinted <i>Peg3</i> gene in mice has sexually dimorphic consequences for offspring communication and social behaviour.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2024

Same author

The parenting hub of the hypothalamus is a focus of imprinted gene action.

PLoS genetics·2023

Same author

Imprinted genes and the manipulation of parenting in mammals.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2023

Same author

A Quantitative Evaluation of Thin Slice Sampling for Parent-Infant Interactions.

Journal of nonverbal behavior·2023

Same author

Prenatal health behaviours as predictors of human placental lactogen levels.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice

Published on: October 27, 2020

Engineering mouse models to investigate the function of imprinting.

Rosalind M John¹

¹Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK. johnrm@cf.ac.uk

Briefings in Functional Genomics

|August 3, 2010

Summary

Transgenic techniques offer a nuanced approach to studying imprinted genes in mammals. By altering gene dosage, researchers can reveal critical developmental phenotypes often missed by traditional knockout studies.

More Related Videos

Validation of a Mouse Model to Disrupt LINC Complexes in a Cell-specific Manner

Validation of a Mouse Model to Disrupt LINC Complexes in a Cell-specific Manner

Published on: December 10, 2015

Applying Stereotactic Injection Technique to Study Genetic Effects on Animal Behaviors

Applying Stereotactic Injection Technique to Study Genetic Effects on Animal Behaviors

Published on: May 10, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice

Published on: October 27, 2020

Validation of a Mouse Model to Disrupt LINC Complexes in a Cell-specific Manner

Validation of a Mouse Model to Disrupt LINC Complexes in a Cell-specific Manner

Published on: December 10, 2015

Applying Stereotactic Injection Technique to Study Genetic Effects on Animal Behaviors

Applying Stereotactic Injection Technique to Study Genetic Effects on Animal Behaviors

Published on: May 10, 2015

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Genetics
Mammalian Evolution

Background:

Conventional gene knockout studies provide limited insight into the developmental basis of imprinting.
Full loss-of-function can obscure critical, dosage-related phenotypes of imprinted genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To review transgenic techniques for altering imprinted gene dosage in research.
To highlight the advantages of dosage-based methods over conventional knockouts.
To focus on the imprinted domain on mouse distal chromosome 7.

Main Methods:

Review of transgenic techniques, specifically bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mice.
Comparison of dosage-based techniques with conventional knockout studies.
Analysis of applications in imprinting research.

Main Results:

Transgenic approaches allow for precise alteration of imprinted gene dosage.
Dosage-based techniques reveal phenotypes masked by full gene loss.
Bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mice are valuable tools in imprinting research.

Conclusions:

Transgenic techniques offer superior resolution for studying imprinted gene function and evolution.
Altering gene dosage is crucial for understanding imprinting-related developmental processes.
Further research using these methods, particularly on chromosome 7, is warranted.