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 Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

30.8K
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
30.8K
Meiosis I03:09

Meiosis I

35.7K
Meiosis is the division of a diploid cell into haploid cells forming sperm and eggs in animals through differentiation. Meiosis I is the first stage of meiosis, where the genetic recombination of homologous chromosomes and the reduction of the ploidy level by half occurs.
Prophase I is the most extended and complex step of meiosis I characterized by synapsis, chromosome pairing, and recombination of the homologous chromosomes. This process is facilitated by a proteinaceous structure called the...
35.7K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

6.2K
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...
6.2K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

33.0K
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...
33.0K
Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

4.3K
Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3...
4.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Higher Neighborhood Social Vulnerability is Associated with Lower Life's Essential 8 Cardiovascular Health Scores: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Mechanism-Stratified Complications After Operative Management of Low-Grade Colon Injuries.

The Journal of surgical research·2026
Same author

Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control Among Community-Dwelling Adults in Low-Resource Neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois.

American journal of health promotion : AJHP·2026
Same author

Incidence and Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in Hemodynamically Unstable Pelvic Fractures.

The Journal of surgical research·2026
Same author

Cost-effectiveness of 5-Cog paradigm for individuals with cognitive concerns in primary care.

Public health·2025
Same author

Identifying acceptable and effective methods of assessing perinatal anxiety: the MAP study.

Health and social care delivery research·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2025

Rapid and Efficient Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Normal and Aberrant Cytosine Methylation within Intact Zebrafish Embryos
07:16

Rapid and Efficient Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Normal and Aberrant Cytosine Methylation within Intact Zebrafish Embryos

Published on: August 18, 2022

1.3K

Extensive N4 cytosine methylation is essential for Marchantia sperm function.

James Walker1, Jingyi Zhang2, Yalin Liu3

  • 1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.

Cell
|April 10, 2025
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals N4-methylcytosine (4mC) DNA modification in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha during spermatogenesis. This epigenetic mark is crucial for sperm development, fertility, and post-fertilization success in eukaryotes.

Keywords:
5-methylcytosineDNA methylation reprogrammingDNA methyltransferasesMarchantiaN4-methylcytosinegene transcriptionspermspermatogenesis

More Related Videos

Determination of DNA Methylation of Imprinted Genes in Arabidopsis Endosperm
09:23

Determination of DNA Methylation of Imprinted Genes in Arabidopsis Endosperm

Published on: January 28, 2011

17.4K
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

9.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2025

Rapid and Efficient Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Normal and Aberrant Cytosine Methylation within Intact Zebrafish Embryos
07:16

Rapid and Efficient Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Normal and Aberrant Cytosine Methylation within Intact Zebrafish Embryos

Published on: August 18, 2022

1.3K
Determination of DNA Methylation of Imprinted Genes in Arabidopsis Endosperm
09:23

Determination of DNA Methylation of Imprinted Genes in Arabidopsis Endosperm

Published on: January 28, 2011

17.4K
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

9.6K

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • N4-methylcytosine (4mC) is a known DNA modification in prokaryotes, but its presence and function in eukaryotes remained largely unknown.
  • DNA methylation plays critical roles in gene regulation and genome stability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and role of N4-methylcytosine (4mC) during eukaryotic spermatogenesis.
  • To identify the mechanisms and biological significance of 4mC in reproductive development.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of DNA methylation patterns during spermatogenesis in Marchantia polymorpha.
  • Identification and characterization of the methyltransferase responsible for 4mC installation.
  • Gene deletion studies to assess the functional impact of MpDN4MT1a.

Main Results:

  • Two waves of DNA methylation reprogramming were observed during spermatogenesis, including the installation of 4mC in genic regions.
  • A specific methyltransferase, MpDN4MT1a, was identified as responsible for installing 4mC.
  • Deletion of MpDN4MT1a led to altered sperm transcriptome, impaired sperm function, and defects in fertility and development.

Conclusions:

  • This study demonstrates extensive N4-methylcytosine (4mC) modification in a eukaryote, Marchantia polymorpha.
  • A novel family of eukaryotic methyltransferases involved in 4mC installation was identified.
  • 4mC plays a critical role in eukaryotic reproductive development, expanding the known repertoire of functional DNA modifications.