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

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

38.7K
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...
38.7K
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

4.2K
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...
4.2K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

34.3K
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
34.3K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

7.9K
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...
7.9K
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

2.3K
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for...
2.3K
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells01:32

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells

2.3K
Chromatin modification alters gene expression; therefore, scientists can add histone-modifying enzymes, histone variants, and chromatin remodeling complexes to somatic cells to aid reprogramming into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The socioeconomic dimensions of racial inequality in South Africa: A social space perspective.

The British journal of sociology·2024
Same author

Wiz binds active promoters and CTCF-binding sites and is required for normal behaviour in the mouse.

eLife·2016
Same author

Hypomethylation of ERVs in the sperm of mice haploinsufficient for the histone methyltransferase Setdb1 correlates with a paternal effect on phenotype.

Scientific reports·2016
Same author

Trim28 Haploinsufficiency Triggers Bi-stable Epigenetic Obesity.

Cell·2016
Same author

Genetic and epigenetic variation among inbred mouse littermates: identification of inter-individual differentially methylated regions.

Epigenetics & chromatin·2015
Same author

Trim33 Binds and Silences a Class of Young Endogenous Retroviruses in the Mouse Testis; a Novel Component of the Arms Race between Retrotransposons and the Host Genome.

PLoS genetics·2015

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

954

Sperm DNA Methylation: Not a Vehicle for Dietary Reprogramming of Offspring?

Emma Whitelaw1

  • 1Department of Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne 3086 VIC, Australia.

Developmental Cell
|December 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Stochastic epivariation, not diet, largely shapes sperm DNA methylation. This suggests DNA methylation doesn't mediate dietary effects on offspring traits.

More Related Videos

Single Oocyte Bisulfite Mutagenesis
13:18

Single Oocyte Bisulfite Mutagenesis

Published on: June 27, 2012

14.6K
Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
09:42

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images

Published on: September 7, 2017

10.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

954
Single Oocyte Bisulfite Mutagenesis
13:18

Single Oocyte Bisulfite Mutagenesis

Published on: June 27, 2012

14.6K
Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
09:42

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images

Published on: September 7, 2017

10.4K

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics and developmental biology.

Background:

  • Dietary factors can influence offspring phenotype, potentially through epigenetic mechanisms.
  • DNA methylation is a key epigenetic modification involved in gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relative contributions of diet and stochastic epivariation to the sperm methylome.
  • To determine if DNA methylation mediates dietary reprogramming of offspring phenotype.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an inbred mouse strain for controlled genetic background.
  • Analyzed sperm methylome to quantify DNA methylation patterns.

Main Results:

  • Stochastic epivariation was identified as a significantly greater contributor to the sperm methylome than dietary intake.
  • Demonstrated substantial individual variability in DNA methylation independent of dietary influences.

Conclusions:

  • Epivariation, not diet, is the primary driver of sperm methylome variability in this model.
  • DNA methylation is unlikely to be the mechanism responsible for dietary reprogramming of offspring phenotype.