Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
04:17
Nuclear Migration in the Drosophila Oocyte
Published on: May 13, 2021
The egg and the nucleus: a battle for supremacy
1Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, The Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK. j.gurdon@gurdon.cam.ac.uk
Development (Cambridge, England)
|May 30, 2013
Summary
Early nuclear transplant experiments in Xenopus frogs were crucial for the 2012 Nobel Prize. This foundational work significantly influenced the development of the cellular reprogramming field.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cellular Reprogramming
- Stem Cell Research
Background:
- The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized groundbreaking work in cellular reprogramming.
- This article focuses on the pivotal early nuclear transplant studies conducted in Xenopus.
Observation:
- Nuclear transplantation in Xenopus demonstrated the potential for differentiated cell nuclei to direct embryonic development.
- These experiments provided early evidence against the irreversible nature of cell differentiation.
Findings:
- The success of nuclear transplantation in Xenopus was a critical precursor to induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology.
- This research laid the groundwork for understanding the mechanisms of cellular plasticity.
Implications:
- The Xenopus nuclear transplant work fundamentally shifted the paradigm in developmental biology.
- It paved the way for therapeutic applications using reprogrammed cells, impacting regenerative medicine.
Related Concept Videos
01:32The Nucleus
The nucleus is a membrane-bound organelle that acts as a control center in a eukaryotic cell. It contains chromosomal DNA, which controls gene expression and precisely regulates the production of proteins within the cell. In contrast, the DNA inside the mitochondria and chloroplast only carries out functions that are specific to those organelles.
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
The regulation of gene expression inside the nucleus is dependent on many factors, including the DNA structure. The...
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
The regulation of gene expression inside the nucleus is dependent on many factors, including the DNA structure. The...
01:25The Nucleus
The nucleus is a membrane-bound organelle that acts as a control center in a eukaryotic cell. It contains chromosomal DNA, which controls gene expression and precisely regulates the production of proteins within the cell. In contrast, the DNA inside the mitochondria and chloroplast only carries out functions that are specific to those organelles.
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
The regulation of gene expression inside the nucleus is dependent on many factors, including the DNA structure. The...
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
The regulation of gene expression inside the nucleus is dependent on many factors, including the DNA structure. The...
01:25The Nucleus
The nucleus is a membrane-bound organelle that acts as a control center in a eukaryotic cell. It contains chromosomal DNA, which controls gene expression and precisely regulates the production of proteins within the cell. In contrast, the DNA inside the mitochondria and chloroplast only carries out functions that are specific to those organelles.
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
The regulation of gene expression inside the nucleus is dependent on many factors, including the DNA structure. The...
Arrangement of DNA within Nucleus
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01:38Fertilization
During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...
02:10Additional Subnuclear Structures
The eukaryotic nucleus is a double membrane-bound organelle that contains nearly all of the cell’s genetic material in the form of chromosomes. It is rightly called the “brain” of the cell as it shoulders the responsibility of responding to various physiological processes, stress, altered metabolic conditions, and other cellular signals.
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles, paraspeckles, etc. These nuclear...
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02:55The Nucleolus
The nucleolus is the most prominent substructure of the nucleus. When it was first discovered, it was considered to be an isolated organelle that forms fibrils and granules. In 1931, the relationship between the nucleolus and chromosomes was first described by Heitz. He observed that the appearance and size of nucleolus varies depending on the stage of the cell cycle. He also noticed constricted regions on different chromosomes clustered together at definite cell cycle stages. These regions,...