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

Position-effect Variegation

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.

Epistasis Analysis

Epistasis Analysis

Although Mendel chose seven unrelated traits in peas to study gene segregation, most traits involve multiple gene interactions that create a spectrum of phenotypes. When the interaction of various genes or alleles at different locations influences a phenotype, this is called epistasis. Epistasis often involves one gene masking or interfering with the expression of another (antagonistic epistasis). Epistasis often occurs when different genes are part of the same biochemical pathway. The...

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.

Combinatorial Gene Control

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

Global trends in human birth and death seasonality reveal climate-related shifts in reproductive timing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

How does cytoplasmic crowding affect reaction rates?

Molecular cell·2025

Same author

Geometrical compartmentalization of trigger waves.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Mechanistic origins of temperature scaling in the early embryonic cell cycle.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Mouse lemur cell atlas informs primate genes, physiology and disease.

Nature·2025

Same author

A molecular cell atlas of mouse lemur, an emerging model primate.

Nature·2025

Same journal

Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Sub-second fluctuations between top-down and bottom-up modes distinguish diverse human brain states.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Queen bees offload pesticide burden to eggs when social buffering is overwhelmed.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

CRISPR-Mediated Reorganization of Chromatin Loop Structure

CRISPR-Mediated Reorganization of Chromatin Loop Structure

Published on: September 14, 2018

Bistability, bifurcations, and Waddington's epigenetic landscape.

James E Ferrell¹

¹Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|June 9, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Waddington's epigenetic landscape model requires revision. Cell-fate induction involves irreversible valley disappearance, not bifurcation, while lateral inhibition better fits the original model.

More Related Videos

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

Published on: December 12, 2019

Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline

Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline

Published on: December 7, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

CRISPR-Mediated Reorganization of Chromatin Loop Structure

CRISPR-Mediated Reorganization of Chromatin Loop Structure

Published on: September 14, 2018

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

Published on: December 12, 2019

Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline

Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline

Published on: December 7, 2021

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Epigenetics
Cell Biology

Background:

Waddington's epigenetic landscape is a key metaphor for cell-fate determination.
The model depicts cells as balls rolling through bifurcating valleys representing cell fates.
The stability of cell fates is maintained by ridges between valleys.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate if models of cell-fate induction and lateral inhibition align with Waddington's epigenetic landscape.
To explore the mathematical underpinnings of cell-fate commitment.
To propose an alternative epigenetic landscape model.

Main Methods:

Analysis of mathematical models for cell-fate induction and lateral inhibition.
Comparison of model dynamics with Waddington's landscape metaphor.
Investigation of bifurcation types (saddle-node and pitchfork) in developmental processes.

Main Results:

Cell-fate induction does not resemble Waddington's landscape; it involves irreversible valley disappearance via saddle-node bifurcation.
Lateral inhibition aligns better with Waddington's model, showing reversible valley splitting through pitchfork bifurcation.
A revised epigenetic landscape is proposed, featuring initial valleys and ridges that change irreversibly.

Conclusions:

Waddington's epigenetic landscape metaphor requires refinement to accurately represent cell-fate induction.
Cell-fate commitment involves irreversible changes, best described by saddle-node bifurcations.
An alternative model incorporating initial landscape complexity and irreversible changes offers a more comprehensive view of development.