During the morphogenesis of the Drosophila embryonic respiratory(tracheal) system, epithelial cells form a branched, tubular network that extends along stereotyped paths towards specific target tissues. Gallio et al. now report that Rhomboid 3 (Rho3) stops tracheal ganglionic branches (GBs)crossing the midline of the ventral nerve cord (VNC) in Drosophila(see p. 3605). Previous genetic analyses have uncovered several factors that guide the migration of the GBs, which provide oxygen to the VNC, including Slit, the main repulsive cue for axons at the midline. To identify additional factors,the researchers screened a collection of P-element mutant flies for GB pathfinding phenotypes. They report that Rho3, an intramembrane protease that activates epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) ligands, guides GBs independently of Slit, and propose that Rho3 activates one or more Egfr ligands, which then repel migrating GBs from the VNC midline.
Interviews with Biologists @ 100 conference speakers
Explore our interviews with keynote speakers from the Biologists @ 100 conference, hosted to celebrate our publisher’s 100th anniversary, where we discuss climate change and biodiversity with Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis, health and disease with Charles Swanton and Sadaf Farooqi, and emerging technologies with Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz.
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.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology
In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
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