The primitive erythroid (red blood cell) lineage is the first haematopoietic lineage to arise during vertebrate embryogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and SCL are both important during the establishment of the haematopoietic system, and Martin and co-workers(p. 693) examine their roles during early erythrocyte development. Using Vegf lo,an allele that generates low levels of VEGF, they find that VEGF promotes the expansion potential and lifespan of primitive erythrocyte precursors. It also has a tight dose-dependent effect on the survival of erythrocytes in the yolk sac; low levels of VEGF appear to result in high levels of apoptosis. Gain-of-function SCL partly alleviates the haematopoietic defect caused by Vegf lo, and the authors suggest that VEGF promotes erythrocyte survival via the anti-apoptotic function of SCL. Martin et al. also speculate that SCL could be involved in the increased expansion potential of primitive erythrocyte precursors.
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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the Node: Have your say
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