Issues

Summary: We investigate alternative explanations for a reported difference between human and insect responses to masked moving gratings, and demonstrate that it is a genuine feature of their visual systems.

Summary: We have analyzed the functional consequences of amino acid substitutions in the protein kinase DYRK1A that have been identified as pathogenic in patients with microcephaly, intellectual disability and autism.

Summary: Aberrant expression of DUX4 underlies facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. This study identified functional domains of DUX4 and demonstrated that multiple pathological changes are related to DUX4-mediated transcriptional activation.

Summary: This article has, for the first time, demonstrated that fruit fly TGF-beta, or Activin-type ligand Daw, or Myo-initiated Activin signaling in adult fruit fly muscle tissues works as an anti-ageing factor by regulating 26S proteasome activities in those tissues.

Summary: Developmental gradients and steroid surges interact during optic lobe development. Early, ectopic juvenile hormone treatment alters steroid receptor levels, suppresses late events but not early events linked to developmental gradients.

Summary: We identified two new pericardin alleles. Both mutants could be rescued with a genomic duplication of a fosmid coding for the pericardin locus. Biochemical analysis revealed that Pericardin is highly glycosylated and forms redox-dependent multimers.

Summary: Our work increases the available information about the regulation of miR-26a and indicates that miR-26a may be involved in the remission of physiological disorders upon ammonia stress in tilapia.

Summary: Transcription factors controlling ciliated cell differentiation are still being determined. Here, we show that Fank1 and Jazf1 are necessary and sufficient for ciliated cell differentiation in the mouse airways.

Summary: The food intake of Ammonia tepida (marine Protist) is strongly related to food supply and individual size. Specifically, juveniles play a major role in coastal phytodetritus processing.

Summary: This is the first experimental study to evaluate the effects of increased concentration of egg white antimicrobial protein avidin on embryo viability, hatchling morphology and immune phenotype in birds.

Summary: In Galliformes birds and Rodentia mammals, larger species evolved larger cells of different cell types; in Galliformes birds, large-cell species evolved lower metabolic rates per unit mass.

Summary: Exposure of female birds to a simulated pathogen prior to egg laying increases the metabolic rate, immune function, and fledging success of her nestlings.

Summary: A unique and highly available heterologous expression system using Lithobates catesbeianus oocytes has been developed for researchers who have restricted or prohibited access to Xenopus laevis frogs and/or oocytes.

Summary: Our optimised protocol to genotype zebrafish mutant embryos after in situ hybridisation and digitally quantify the in situ signal will help to standardise existing experimental designs and methods of analysis.