Dorsoanterior axis formation in Xenopus is initiated by the dorsal accumulation of β-catenin. It is known that factors that increaseβ-catenin stability are translocated to the prospective dorsal side of the embryo in a microtubule-dependent manner soon after fertilisation, but the identity of these factors, and how they are moved around the embryo, is unclear. Now, Weaver and colleagues report that GBP, a protein inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), binds to kinesin light chain (KLC), and that green fluorescent protein fusions of GBP and KLC form particles that translocate during the cortical rotation that occurs soon after egg fertilisation (see p. 5425). The researchers propose a model in which a GBP-containing complex is transported to the future dorsal side of the embryo by a conventional kinesin motor. Here, they suggest, GBP regulates the accumulation of β-catenin by dissociating from KLC and subsequently inhibiting GSK3,which would otherwise phosphorylate β-catenin...
The Company of Biologists Workshops
For the last 15 years, our publisher, The Company of Biologists, has provided an apt environment to inspire biology and support biologists through our Workshops series. Read about the evolution of the Workshop series and revisit JEB's experience with hosting the first Global South Workshop.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 30 May 2025.
Meet our 2025 Pathway to Independence (PI) fellows
We are delighted to announce our third cohort of PI fellows - researchers whom we will be supporting as they transition from postdoc to Principal Investigator. Read about the eight talented fellows chosen, whom we're excited to be working with as they navigate the job market.
In preprints
the Node: Have your say
Our community site, the Node, is conducting a user survey about the content and the design of the site. Help us shape the Node's future and thank you for being a part of the Node over the last 15 years.
Social media
