Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Tiled confocal image of a transverse section of zebrafish trunk at 4 weeks postfertilization. Long-term lineage tracing shows that embryonic col1a2+ muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) contribute to the skin and skeletal muscles. mCherry (magenta) marks cells derived from ‘switched’ MPCs at 3 days postfertilization, and GFP (green) labels ‘un-switched’ cells. See Research article by Sharma et al. (dev178400).
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CsTFL1 inhibits determinate growth and terminal flower formation through interaction with CsNOT2a in cucumber
Summary: A novel insight into the molecular mechanisms of determinate growth in cucumber and a strategy for fine-tuning plant architecture using CsTFL1 to adapt to different cucumber production systems.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
INTERVIEW
MEETING REVIEW
Reverse-engineering growth and form in Heidelberg
Summary: This Meeting Review reports on the main results presented at the EMBO-EMBL Symposium ‘Synthetic Morphogenesis: From Gene Circuits to Tissue Architecture’ held in Germany in March 2019.
PRIMER
Model systems for regeneration: salamanders
Summary: This Primer provides an overview of salamanders as a model system for studying regeneration, outlining the mechanisms deployed during salamander regeneration and highlighting how the study of salamanders has increased our understanding of regeneration more broadly.
Emerging diverse roles of telocytes
Summary: This Primer gives an overview of the molecular and structural characteristics of telocytes, a cell type with a wide distribution and diverse range of proposed functions.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
Regulation of the ERK signalling pathway in the developing mouse blastocyst
Highlighted Article: During primitive endoderm differentiation in mouse, ERK activation is regulated by NANOG, which induces the expression of both Fgf4 and Etv5, providing intrinsic and extrinsic signals at the same time.
BMP4 patterns Smad activity and generates stereotyped cell fate organization in spinal organoids
Highlighted Article: BMP4 generates the patterning of dorsal spinal cell types in mouse and human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids.
Single cell dynamics of embryonic muscle progenitor cells in zebrafish
Summary: Live imaging and single cell clonal analysis reveal dynamic behaviors of zebrafish embryonic muscle progenitor cells in quiescence and activation.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Nkx2-5 defines a subpopulation of pacemaker cells and is essential for the physiological function of the sinoatrial node in mice
Summary: Mouse lines in which two distinct pacemaker cell populations can be distinguished reveal a novel role for Nkx2-5 in pacemaking function in the sinoatrial node.
Rorβ regulates selective axon-target innervation in the mammalian midbrain
Summary: A novel genetic strategy allowing the tracing of axonal projections in mouse brain identifies Rorβ as a key factor regulating axonal targeting to distinct subcortical areas.
Migrating cells control morphogenesis of substratum serving as track to promote directional movement of the collective
Summary: Collectively migrating cells not only respond to extrinsic molecular cues and surrounding topology, but can also physically modify the morphogenesis of their tissue substrate.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Identification of the building blocks of ventricular septation in monitor lizards (Varanidae)
Highlighted Article: Monitor lizards, which have the most-pronounced ventricular septation of lizards, express evolutionarily conserved transcription factors and exhibit a specialized manner of electrical activation.
Dchs1-Fat4 regulation of osteogenic differentiation in mouse
Summary: Dchs1-Fat4 signalling plays a crucial role in osteogenesis by regulating Runx2 activity via Yap and Taz, providing insight into how craniofacial development may be altered in Van Maldegem syndrome.
Bone morphology is regulated modularly by global and regional genetic programs
Highlighted Article: The development of protrusions, such as eminences and condyles, along long bones in mice is coordinated by a patterning mechanism involving global and regional genetic regulation.
Modular tissue-specific regulation of doublesex underpins sexually dimorphic development in Drosophila
Summary: The expression of doublesex in sexually dimorphic structures in Drosophila legs and genitalia is regulated by tissue-specific cis-regulatory elements, providing insight into how cells obtain their sex-specific identity.
MOZ directs the distal-less homeobox gene expression program during craniofacial development
Summary: MOZ (KAT6A, MYST3), a histone acetyltransferase and chromatin writer, is essential for normal craniofacial development, where it regulates gene expression, including the distal-less homeobox 5 transcription factor gene.
miR167 limits anther growth to potentiate anther dehiscence
Summary: The microRNA mir167 limits Arabidopsis anther expansion growth shortly before flowers open. Without this regulation, enlarged anthers do not desiccate enough to dehisce and release pollen.
A whole organism small molecule screen identifies novel regulators of pancreatic endocrine development
Summary: New pdx1 expression modulators are identified in zebrafish, and their ability to induce pancreatic endoderm formation, transdifferentiation of α-cells to β-cells and β-cell maturation is assessed at different stages of pancreas development.
Regulation of Notch signaling by the chromatin-modeling protein Hat-trick
Summary: Hat-trick, a novel interactor of Notch that genetically interacts with Notch pathway components, is a component of the Notch-Su(H) activation complex and positively regulates Notch signaling.
Wheat VRN1, FUL2 and FUL3 play critical and redundant roles in spikelet development and spike determinacy
Summary: The wheat MADS-box proteins VRN1, FUL2 and FUL3 are essential for the initial development of the lateral and terminal spikelets, and control the number of spikelets per spike.
Adaptive correction of craniofacial defects in pre-metamorphic Xenopus laevis tadpoles involves thyroid hormone-independent tissue remodeling
Highlighted Article: Using several different methods of perturbation, we identify molecular and tissue-level factors involved in the adaptive self-correction of malformed craniofacial tissue in the vertebrate Xenopus laevis.
The lymphoid-associated interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) regulates tissue-resident macrophage development
Highlighted Article: A mouse Il7r-Cre lineage-tracing model, together with blockade of IL7R function and germline deletion of IL7R, provide evidence for the interleukin 7 receptor as a regulator of fetal macrophage development during late gestation.
Yap/Taz-TEAD activity links mechanical cues to progenitor cell behavior during zebrafish hindbrain segmentation
Highlighted Article: Rhombomeric boundary cells act as mechanosensors through Yap/Taz-TEAD activity, affecting progenitor maintenance and therefore balancing proliferation and differentiation.
Redundant SCARECROW genes pattern distinct cell layers in roots and leaves of maize
Summary: Two duplicated maize SCARECROW genes control the development of the endodermis in roots and the mesophyll in leaves.
Ectodysplasin-A signaling is a key integrator in the lacrimal gland–cornea feedback loop
Summary: Physiological and molecular defects in the lacrimal glands of Eda−/− mice reveal that Eda signaling contributes to the cornea/lacrimal gland feedback loop in both basal and reflex tear production.
Sall4 regulates neuromesodermal progenitors and their descendants during body elongation in mouse embryos
Summary: Conditional knockout of Sall4, a stem cell gene, reveals roles in neuromesodermal progenitors and their descendants in post-gastrulation mouse embryos.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
Proximity labeling reveals novel interactomes in live Drosophila tissue
Summary: We optimize a procedure for enzyme-catalyzed proximity labeling in live Drosophila ovary tissue to interrogate the Drosophila ring canal protein interactome.
CORRECTION
PREPRINT HIGHLIGHTS
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025
We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register your interest to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Pathway to independence: perspectives on the future
In this Perspective, our second cohort of Pathway to Independence (PI) fellows showcase their research interests and thoughts on the future of the field of developmental biology. These talented postdocs cover topics as diverse as plant development, tissue engineering and adaptation to climate change. Look out for an announcement about the next call for applications later this year to become a Pathway to Independence fellow.
Development presents…
Development is excited to host a webinar series showcasing the latest developmental biology and stem cell research. The webinars are chaired each month by a different Development Editor, who invites talks from authors of exciting new papers and preprints. Visit Development presents... on the Node to see which topics are coming up and to catch up on recordings of past webinars.
The fascinating world of developmental biology
Development, British Society of Developmental Biology and Cambridge Filmworks teamed up to produce a documentary showcasing the wonder and the importance of the developmental biology field. We hope this video will help to promote our field and inspire the next generation of developmental biologists. We invite you to watch, enjoy and – most importantly - share this movie.
Modelling Plant Stem Cells: Evolution, Development and Regeneration
Early-career researchers can now apply for a funded place for the Modelling Plant Stem Cells: Evolution, Development and Regeneration Workshop happening on 18-21 May 2025. This is a great opportunity that could enhance your career in various ways. Application deadline: Friday 15 November 2024.