Bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps), which regulate cell-cell signalling in animal development, are controlled by a network of secreted proteins including Twisted gastrulation (Tsg). Tsg can inhibit or promote Bmp signalling,depending on the developmental system. On p. 413, Zakin and De Robertis investigate Tsg regulation of Bmp4 signalling during mouse development. The researchers describe how targeted inactivation of the Tsg gene alone results in undersized mice with mild vertebral defects. Similarly, previous studies have indicated that Bmp+/- mice have only mild defects. By contrast, the Tsg-/-, Bmp4+/- compound mutants derived by Zakin and De Robertis die at birth and have major brain abnormalities, including holoprosencephaly, a disorder in which the embryonic forebrain fails to divide into two lobes. These results indicate that Tsg acts to promote Bmp4 signalling during forebrain development.
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 15 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.
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
