Chromatin remodelling regulates gene expression during development. Exactly how is not clear but a study of vulval development in Caenorhabditis elegans provides some important new clues (see p. 2695). Andersen,Lu and Horvitz report that a nucleosome remodelling factor (NURF)-like complex promotes the expression of vulval cell fates by antagonizing the action of synthetic multivulva (synMuv) genes, which repress gene transcription through chromatin remodelling. Simultaneous loss-of-function mutations in two synMuv genes - these include genes that encode chromatin-remodelling proteins and homologues of well-known transcription repressors such as Rb - produce worms with ectopic vulvae, indicating that synMuv proteins normally suppress vulval cell fates. The researchers show that ISW-1 (an orthologue of the Drosophila ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling enzyme ISWI) probably acts with NURF-1 (an orthologue of Drosophila NURF301) to promote the synMuv phenotype during vulval development. These results suggest that cell fate might be precisely regulated during development through the antagonistic...
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.
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.
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