Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Crossing Over01:30

Crossing Over

6.3K
Crossing over is the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis I. Genetic recombination gives rise to allelic diversity in the newly formed daughter cells. In humans, crossing over produces genetically distinct haploid egg and sperm cells that undergo fertilization to produce unique offspring. Before cell division starts, the germ cell’s chromosome(s) undergo duplication in the S phase of the cell cycle. As the cells enter prophase I,...
6.3K
Crossing Over01:34

Crossing Over

128.6K
Unlike mitosis, meiosis aims for genetic diversity in its creation of haploid gametes. Dividing germ cells first begin this process in prophase I, where each chromosome—replicated in S phase—is now composed of two sister chromatids (identical copies) joined centrally.
The homologous pairs of sister chromosomes—one from the maternal and one from the paternal genome—then begin to align alongside each other lengthwise, matching corresponding DNA positions in a process...
128.6K
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

5.6K
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.
5.6K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

6.0K
Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
6.0K
Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression02:35

Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression

22.5K
Chromatin is the massive complex of DNA and proteins packaged inside the nucleus. The complexity of chromatin folding and how it is packaged inside the nucleus greatly influences  access to genetic information. Generally, the nucleus' periphery is considered transcriptionally repressive, while the cell's interior is considered a transcriptionally active area. 
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the...
22.5K
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

3.1K
The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
3.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Layered social competition coordinates reproductive hierarchy formation in ants.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Regulation of reproductive and behavioral plasticity in social insects.

Current opinion in insect science·2026
Same author

A Lineage-Specific Peptide Suppresses Juvenile Hormone to Drive Reproductive and Longevity Reprogramming in Ants.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Modern Mining: The Role of Single-cell RNA Sequencing in Advancing Neuroscience Research.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same author

Blocking apoptosis promotes survival and alters developmental dynamics of human retinal ganglion cells in retinal organoids.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Spatial, temporal and Notch determination of terminal selector expression controls neuronal cell fate in the Drosophila optic lobe.

Nature neuroscience·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions
14:49

Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions

Published on: April 23, 2011

14.9K

Interchromosomal communication coordinates intrinsically stochastic expression between alleles.

Robert J Johnston1, Claude Desplan

  • 1Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 8, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individual gene copies make random choices, but communicate to ensure coordinated expression. This stochastic gene regulation diversifies neuronal subtypes in the Drosophila eye.

More Related Videos

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization
13:55

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Published on: February 3, 2013

17.8K
Chromosome Replicating Timing Combined with Fluorescent In situ Hybridization
17:14

Chromosome Replicating Timing Combined with Fluorescent In situ Hybridization

Published on: December 10, 2012

13.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 3, 2026

Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions
14:49

Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions

Published on: April 23, 2011

14.9K
Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization
13:55

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Published on: February 3, 2013

17.8K
Chromosome Replicating Timing Combined with Fluorescent In situ Hybridization
17:14

Chromosome Replicating Timing Combined with Fluorescent In situ Hybridization

Published on: December 10, 2012

13.7K

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neuronal subtype diversification is crucial for sensory system function.
  • Stochastic gene expression plays a key role in generating cell diversity.
  • The Spineless (Ss) gene in Drosophila R7 photoreceptors exemplifies stochastic subtype determination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying stochastic Spineless (Ss) gene expression.
  • To investigate how individual gene alleles make independent stochastic decisions.
  • To understand the communication between Ss alleles for coordinated expression.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of long-range regulatory elements (enhancers and silencers) controlling Ss expression.
  • Investigation of interallelic cross-talk through up-regulatory and down-regulatory mechanisms.
  • Assessment of chromosomal positioning and pairing independence in Ss regulation.

Main Results:

  • Stochastic expression of each ss allele is controlled by a single enhancer and two silencers acting at long range.
  • Interallelic cross-talk averages expression frequency between the two ss alleles.
  • Long-range regulation occurs independently of specific chromosomal positioning or pairing.

Conclusions:

  • Individual ss alleles make independent, stochastic on/off decisions.
  • Interchromosomal communication coordinates expression states between alleles.
  • This coordinated stochastic expression ensures uniform subtype choice within a random subset of R7 photoreceptors.