Hox proteins are transcriptional regulators that specify segmental identity along the anteroposterior axis of multicellular animals. In Drosophila, Hox proteins bind to DNA in association with the Extradenticle (Exd) and Homothorax (Hth) co-factors. The Hox DNA-binding selectivity model proposes that distinct Hox/Exd/Hth complexes select different consensus DNA-binding sites to initiate different developmental programs. On p. 1591,Ebner and colleagues question this model. By screening the Drosophilagenome for the consensus Lab/Exd/Hth-binding sequence, the authors have discovered a new target gene regulated by the Hox protein Labial (Lab). Surprisingly, the regulation of this gene by Lab does not depend on the Lab/Exd-binding consensus site but on a strongly divergent sequence. The researchers conclude that more complexity needs to be built into the Hox DNA-binding selectivity model to accommodate their findings. On p. 1567, Hersh and Carroll consider how Hox genes regulate development from an evolutionary point of view. The...
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.
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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