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

Multi-species Conserved Sequences02:51

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

4.5K
Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale  studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
4.5K
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

10.4K
Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
10.4K
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

7.5K
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
7.5K
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region02:40

The Eukaryotic Promoter Region

18.2K
The eukaryotic promoter region is a segment of DNA located upstream of a gene. It contains an RNA polymerase binding site, a transcription start site, and several cis-regulatory sequences.  The proximal promoter region is located in the vicinity of the gene and has cis-regulatory sequences and the core promoter. The core promoter is the binding site for RNA polymerase and is usually located between -35 and +35 nucleotides from the transcription start site. The distal promoter regions are...
18.2K
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region02:40

The Eukaryotic Promoter Region

3.6K
3.6K
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

3.5K
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...
3.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Multiscale analysis and functional validation of the cellular and genetic determinants of skeletal disease.

Nature genetics·2026
Same author

Early transcription factor activation distinguishes symbiotic from non-symbiotic bacteria during microbiome processing in a sponge.

The ISME journal·2026
Same author

Mural cells protect the adult brain from hemorrhage but do not control the blood-brain barrier in developing zebrafish.

eLife·2026
Same author

Stem cells as an essential mediator of the exercise-tumorigenesis link.

Nature reviews. Cancer·2026
Same author

Hypoxia-activated <i>scleraxis a</i> mediates epicardial progenitor differentiation into a unique cardiac perivascular cell type.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Experimental Evidence for a Metal-Related Function of a Cyanobactin.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers
00:08

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

1.4K

Deep conservation of the enhancer regulatory code in animals.

Emily S Wong1,2,3, Dawei Zheng2, Siew Z Tan4

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. e.wong@victorchang.edu.au m.francois@centenary.org.au b.degnan@uq.edu.au.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 6, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Ancient enhancers from sponges can drive gene expression in zebrafish and mice, revealing a conserved genomic regulatory syntax across animals. This suggests enhancers have a long evolutionary history and are flexibly reused in gene regulatory networks.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: An Integrated Workflow to Study the Promoter-Centric Spatio-Temporal Genome Architecture in Scarce Cell Populations
11:36

Author Spotlight: An Integrated Workflow to Study the Promoter-Centric Spatio-Temporal Genome Architecture in Scarce Cell Populations

Published on: April 21, 2023

2.8K
A Computational Pipeline for Intergenic/Intragenic Enhancer RNA Quantification in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
06:02

A Computational Pipeline for Intergenic/Intragenic Enhancer RNA Quantification in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: October 28, 2025

165

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 2, 2025

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers
00:08

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

1.4K
Author Spotlight: An Integrated Workflow to Study the Promoter-Centric Spatio-Temporal Genome Architecture in Scarce Cell Populations
11:36

Author Spotlight: An Integrated Workflow to Study the Promoter-Centric Spatio-Temporal Genome Architecture in Scarce Cell Populations

Published on: April 21, 2023

2.8K
A Computational Pipeline for Intergenic/Intragenic Enhancer RNA Quantification in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
06:02

A Computational Pipeline for Intergenic/Intragenic Enhancer RNA Quantification in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: October 28, 2025

165

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary developmental biology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Transcription factors (TFs) interacting with enhancers specify cell identity in animal development.
  • The evolutionary origins and history of enhancers remain challenging to trace.
  • Enhancers are crucial DNA regulatory sequences controlling gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and conserved function of enhancers.
  • To determine if enhancers from ancient organisms can function in distantly related species.
  • To explore the ancient genomic regulatory syntax underlying animal development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized marine sponge enhancers to drive gene transcription in zebrafish and mouse models.
  • Analyzed conserved microsyntenic regions containing enhancers, such as the Islet enhancer.
  • Compared TF binding motifs and gene expression patterns between sponges, zebrafish, and mice.

Main Results:

  • Sponge enhancers successfully drove developmental transcription in zebrafish and mice.
  • Identified shared TF binding motifs between sponge and mammalian Islet enhancers.
  • Observed similar gene expression patterns driven by sponge and endogenous Islet enhancers in zebrafish.

Conclusions:

  • Suggests the existence of an ancient and conserved genomic regulatory syntax.
  • Demonstrates that this regulatory syntax has been flexibly co-opted across the animal kingdom.
  • Highlights the deep evolutionary roots of gene regulatory networks controlling animal development.