This article includes recent preLights posts that discuss preprints in the field of developmental and stem cell biology.
Featured preLight
Topology changes of the regenerating Hydra define actin nematic defects as mechanical organizers of morphogenesis by Yamini Ravichandran et al.
Hydra body plan and actin nematic defects.
preLighter(s)
Rachel Mckeown, PhD student at St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge
Why it was selected
The role of physical cues in development and regeneration has been greatly underappreciated, with biochemical models dominating the field for decades. This study places mechanics in the spotlight and uses, in my opinion, a really intriguing system to experimentally pin down its role. It's also refreshing to read a paper that uses a model organism I'm less familiar with – I doubt there are many systems where you can prod and poke so intensively and still successfully generate such outcomes as animals with a hole in the middle! I'll be on the lookout for more exciting insights from Hydra.
Other relevant preLight post
Notch3 is a genetic modifier of NODAL signalling for patterning asymmetry during mouse heart looping by Tobias Holm Bønnelykke et al.
How to decide at which side to loop the heart tube? Notch3 holds a clue...
Selected by Bhaval Parmar. Read the preLight.
Topology changes of the regenerating Hydra define actin nematic defects as mechanical organizers of morphogenesis by Yamini Ravichandran et al.
From Actin Disorganisation Comes Tissue Organisation - Ravichandran et al. show actin defects predict whether Hydra returns with one head or two.
Selected by Rachel Mckeown. Read the preLight.
Temporal constraints on enhancer usage shape the regulation of limb gene transcription by Raquel Rouco et al.
Red light, yellow light: the limb game. In vivo reporter assays combined with scRNA-Seq reveal stage-specific Shox2 enhancer usage during limb development.
Selected by María Mariner-Faulí. Read the preLight.
Actin polymerization drives lumen formation in a human epiblast model by Dhiraj Indana et al.
The force drives the lumen of humans: how the actin cytoskeleton generates forces to open the human epiblast lumen.
Selected by Megane Rayer and Rivka Shapiro. Read the preLight.
Aurora B controls microtubule stability to regulate abscission dynamics in stem cells by Snježana Kodba et al.
Aurora B actively drives abscission in pluripotent mouse Embryonic Stem Cells via the stabilisation of microtubule bridges
Selected by Ines Jmel-Boyer. Read the preLight.
A tension-induced morphological transition shapes the avian extra-embryonic territory by Arthur Michaut et al.
“A Quail of Two Tissues in the Epibolic Saga” Ever wondered how a small embryo, sitting atop an egg yolk, grows to cover the whole yolk?
Selected by Sameer Thukral. Read the preLight.
A choroid plexus apocrine secretion mechanism shapes CSF proteome and embryonic brain development by Ya'el Courtney et al.
Stimulation of Choroid Plexus epithelial cells initiates a domino effect, influencing CSF composition and impacting brain development. Fascinating insights into the intricate workings of the brain's environment!
Selected by Monica Tambalo and Vanessa Aragona. Read the preLight.
A revised single-cell transcriptomic atlas of Xenopus embryo reveals new differentiation dynamics by Kseniya Petrova et al.
A cell's eye view of development: Kseniya Petrova et al. explore early frog development at the single-cell level, producing a new and improved atlas resource.
Selected by Rachel Mckeown. Read the preLight.
Elasto-Plastic Transition in Epithelial Folding by Aki Teranishi et al.
A different origami-guide: Irreversible folds in morphogenesis
Selected by Teodora Piskova. Read the preLight.
Notch is Required for Neural Progenitor Proliferation During Embryonic Eye Regrowth by Dylan J. Guerin et al.
The role of a conserved cell signaling pathway in regulating the proliferation of neural progenitors during embryonic eye regrowth in a frog.
Selected by Mina Basily. Read the preLight.
Scalable and efficient generation of mouse primordial germ cell-like cells by Xinbao Ding et al.
A reliable and cost-effective method to produce germ cells at scale… what's not to love?
Selected by Carly Guiltinan. Read the preLight.
FoxO transcription factors actuate the formative pluripotency specific gene expression programme by Laura Santini et al.
Withholding the Forkheads : An AKT of phosphorylation. Find out how the cytoplasmic to nuclear shuttling of transcription factors ensures timely development.
Selected by Mansi. Read the preLight.
Lens Placode Modulates Extracellular Matrix Formation During Early Eye Development by Cecília G. De Magalhães et al.
Lens placodes to put the journey of cells under a lens from the perspective of the extracellular matrix (ECM)
Selected by Bhaval Parmar. Read the preLight.
Learning a conserved mechanism for early neuroectoderm morphogenesis by Matthew Lefebvre et al.
New study unveils a conserved mechanism of neuroectoderm morphogenesis from flies 🪰 to humans 👶, linking BMP signaling, myosin dynamics, and cell adhesion patterns in shaping early tissue movements.
Selected by Panagiotis Oikonomou. Read the preLight.
