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

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

7.3K
The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
7.3K
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

4.3K
Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
4.3K
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

4.2K
The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
4.2K
Physiological Barriers01:25

Physiological Barriers

3.5K
Physiological barriers are semi-permeable cellular structures restricting drug diffusion into intracellular compartments and tissues. There are six types of physiological barriers: blood endothelial, cell membrane, blood-brain, blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood-placenta, and blood-testis barriers.
The blood endothelial barrier is the most porous of these. It allows all small ionized, un-ionized, and lipophilic molecules to pass through the endothelial lining into the interstitial space...
3.5K
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

2.7K
Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
2.7K
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply01:24

Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply

2.5K
Rapidly dividing tumors, embryos, and wounded tissues require more oxygen than usual, lowering the oxygen concentration in the blood. At low oxygen or hypoxic conditions, an oxygen-sensitive transcription factor called the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 or HIF1 is activated. HIF1 is a dimeric protein of alpha (ɑ) and beta (β) subunits.  Under optimal oxygen conditions, HIF1β is present in the nucleus while HIF1ɑ remains in the cytosol. HIF1ɑ is hydroxylated by prolyl...
2.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Genome-wide absolute quantification of chromatin looping.

Nature structural & molecular biology·2026
Same author

Live-cell imaging of enhancer-promoter dynamics reveals transient contact-driven gene activation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Integrative vasculogenesis unifies distinct endothelial sources in the developing lung.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Synthetic reconstitution of planar polarity initiation reveals collective migration as a symmetry-breaking cue.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Integrated MINFLUX tracking reveals two distinct chromatin dynamics classes across cell types.

Nature structural & molecular biology·2026
Same author

De novo formation of cis-regulatory contacts in the absence of NIPBL-driven chromatin loop extrusion.

Nature genetics·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

11.4K

Diffusion barriers imposed by tissue topology shape Hedgehog morphogen gradients.

Gavin Schlissel1, Miram Meziane1,2, Domenic Narducci3,4,5

  • 1Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 27, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolution tunes morphogen gradients using SCUBE1 to control Hedgehog diffusion range. This protein helps Hedgehog overcome cell barriers, enabling precise tissue patterning across different sizes.

Keywords:
Sonic Hedgehogdiffusion barriermorphogensingle-molecule imagingtissue topology

More Related Videos

Fixation of Embryonic Mouse Tissue for Cytoneme Analysis
08:46

Fixation of Embryonic Mouse Tissue for Cytoneme Analysis

Published on: June 16, 2022

2.4K
Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis
07:26

Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis

Published on: January 31, 2025

471

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

11.4K
Fixation of Embryonic Mouse Tissue for Cytoneme Analysis
08:46

Fixation of Embryonic Mouse Tissue for Cytoneme Analysis

Published on: June 16, 2022

2.4K
Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis
07:26

Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis

Published on: January 31, 2025

471

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Morphogen gradients are crucial for tissue development.
  • How morphogen signaling range evolves to match varying tissue sizes remains unclear.
  • Existing models do not fully explain observed diffusion dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the mechanisms controlling morphogen diffusion range.
  • Determine how SCUBE1 influences Hedgehog gradient formation.
  • Develop a new model for morphogen diffusion across cell barriers.

Main Methods:

  • Single-molecule imaging in reconstituted gradients and tissue explants.
  • Analysis of Hedgehog diffusion states (monomer, membrane-confined, -unconfined).
  • Development and application of a topology-limited diffusion model.

Main Results:

  • Hedgehog diffuses as a monomer, rapidly switching between membrane states.
  • SCUBE1 expands Hedgehog gradients by accelerating state transitions.
  • A novel topology-limited diffusion model explains SCUBE1's effect by overcoming cell-cell gaps.

Conclusions:

  • SCUBE1 promotes Hedgehog secretion and diffusion by facilitating transient overcoming of diffusion barriers.
  • The topology-limited diffusion model provides a multiscale understanding of gradient formation.
  • Identified regulatory mechanisms for tuning morphogen gradient sizes in development and evolution.