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

Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

4.1K
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...
4.1K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

34.2K
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
34.2K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

26.2K
26.2K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

7.8K
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...
7.8K
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

7.2K
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.
7.2K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

38.5K
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...
38.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Endogenous eukaryotic CHO-K1 cell promoters as tools to improve the production of a difficult-to-express recombinant protein.

Transcription·2026
Same author

Retraction Note: Mechanism of HCV's resistance to IFN-α in cell culture involves expression of functional IFN-α receptor 1.

Virology journal·2026
Same author

Establishment of a three-dimensional in vitro peri-implant bone-mucosa composite model.

BMC oral health·2026
Same author

Cell type-specific interactions induce tonic interferon production in endothelial cells in a pathogen-independent manner.

Cell communication and signaling : CCS·2026
Same author

Better models, better treatment? a systematic review of current three dimensional (3D) <i>in vitro</i> models for implant-associated infections.

Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology·2025
Same author

Dual Antibacterial and Soft-Tissue-Integrative Effect of Combined Strontium Acetate and Silver Nitrate on Peri-Implant Environment: Insights from Multispecies Biofilms and a 3D Coculture Model.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.9K

Epigenetic modulations rendering cell-to-cell variability and phenotypic metastability.

Shawal Spencer1, Agustina Gugliotta1, Natascha Gödecke1

  • 1Model Systems for Infection and Immunity, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.

Journal of Genetics and Genomics = Yi Chuan Xue Bao
|August 30, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Tumor cell heterogeneity arises from epigenetic changes, specifically histone modifications, not DNA methylation. This locus-specific epigenetic modulation drives phenotypic plasticity and impacts cancer treatment predictability.

Keywords:
DNA methylationDifferential histone marksEpigenetic regulationIntraclonal heterogeneityMetastable expression

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy
07:20

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Published on: October 18, 2024

1.0K
High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression
12:52

High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression

Published on: April 18, 2021

5.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.9K
Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy
07:20

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Published on: October 18, 2024

1.0K
High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression
12:52

High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression

Published on: April 18, 2021

5.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cancer Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Tumor cells exhibit phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity due to genetic and epigenetic variations, complicating therapeutic strategies.
  • Understanding epigenetic modulation dynamics at specific chromosomal sites is crucial for deciphering underlying cancer mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate epigenetic modulations driving cell-to-cell heterogeneity in a tumor cell line model.
  • To elucidate the role of locus-specific epigenetic modifications in gene expression and cellular plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed expression variance in 80 genetically uniform cell populations with single-copy random genome integration.
  • Performed single-cell analysis and epigenetic characterization, including histone marks and DNA methylation analysis.

Main Results:

  • Observed high intraclonal heterogeneity in gene expression within genetically uniform cell populations.
  • Identified differential histone marks correlating with expression heterogeneity, while DNA methylation contribution was excluded.
  • Discovered dynamic, stochastic chromatin alterations in some clones leading to metastable expression, contrasting with robust chromatin states and stable expression in others.

Conclusions:

  • Locus-specific epigenetic modulation, particularly via histone modifications, significantly contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity in tumor cells.
  • Epigenetic plasticity, driven by dynamic chromatin states, underlies cellular heterogeneity and may influence therapeutic responses.