Cell interactions during gastrulation play a key role in the determination of mesodermal cell fates in the sea urchin embryo. An interaction between primary and secondary mesenchyme cells (PMCs and SMCs, respectively), the two principal populations of mesodermal cells, regulates the expression of SMC fates. PMCs are committed early in cleavage to express a skeletogenic phenotype. During gastrulation, they transmit a signal that suppresses the skeletogenic potential of a subpopulation of SMCs and directs these cells into an alternative developmental pathway. This review summarizes present information concerning the cellular basis of the PMC-SMC interaction, as analyzed by cell transplantation and ablation experiments, fluorescent cell labeling methods and the use of cell type-specific molecular markers. The nature and stability of SMC fate switching, the timing of the PMC-SMC interaction and its quantitative characteristics, and the lineage, numbers and normal fate of the population of skeletogenic SMCs are discussed. Evidence is presented indicating that PMCs and SMCs come into direct filopodial contact during the late gastrula stage, when the signal is transmitted. Finally, evolutionary questions raised by these studies are briefly addressed.
Pathway to Independence programme
We’re excited to announce our new Pathway to Independence programme, aimed at supporting postdocs as they go on the job market. Find out more about the scheme in our Editorial.
Call for papers: Metabolic and Nutritional Control of Development and Regeneration
We are welcoming submissions for our next special issue, which will focus on metabolic and nutritional control of development and regeneration. Submission deadline: 15 May 2023.
Webinar: Increasing the visibility and impact of your research
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Would you like to increase the visibility and impact of your research and raise your profile internationally? If so, register for the very practical webinar we are running in association with HUBS on 23 February 2023.
Transitions in development: Daniel Grimes
Daniel Grimes’s lab studies the consequences of ciliary mutations, including left-right patterning defects and scoliosis. We interviewed Daniel to find out more about his career path, his experience of becoming a group leader and the influence of Jurassic Park.
Preprints in Development
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As part of our efforts to support the use of preprints and help curate the preprint literature, we are delighted to launch a new article type: ‘In preprints’. These pieces will discuss one or more recent preprints and place them in a broader context.
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