Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Fluorescent image of a whole E14.5 mouse embryo showing the three genetically labelled germ layers: neuroectoderm (green, Sox1-dependent Venus), mesoderm (red, brachyury-dependent mCherry) and endoderm (cyan, Sox17-dependent mCerulean). See Research article by Serizawa et al. (dev174938)
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
INTERVIEW
OBITUARY
Suzanne Eaton (1959-2019)
Summary: Frank Jülicher looks back on the life of Suzanne Eaton and reflects on how her work on Drosophila tissue morphogenesis contributed to the fields of cell and developmental biology.
PRIMER
Model systems for regeneration: Hydra
Summary: This Primer discusses Hydra as a model system for investigating regeneration, highlighting how the reactivation of developmental processes leads to whole-body regeneration after amputation and also after tissue dissociation and reaggregation of organoid-like structures.
REVIEW
Axo-glial interdependence in peripheral nerve development
Summary: This Review focuses on the specific interdependence of axons and Schwann cells that enables peripheral nerve development and maintenance.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
N-cadherin stabilises neural identity by dampening anti-neural signals
Summary: As pluripotent cells undergo neural differentiation they swap E-cadherin for N-cadherin. This switch in adhesion molecules modulates signalling in order to facilitate the differentiation process.
CDK2 kinase activity is a regulator of male germ cell fate
Summary: Although the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK2 is not necessary for spermatogonial function in mice, CDK2 hyperactivity delays establishment of the spermatogonial stem cells and prevents their differentiation.
RESEARCH REPORTS
PLXNA1 and PLXNA3 cooperate to pattern the nasal axons that guide gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons
Highlighted Article: PLXNA1 and PLXNA3 convey the pathfinding of olfactory and vomeronasal axons as a prerequisite for neuroendocrine neurons to migrate into the hypothalamus and release gonadotropins into the circulation.
Disruption of the pancreatic vasculature in zebrafish affects islet architecture and function
Summary: Expressing anti-angiogenic signals in the zebrafish pancreatic islet reveals distinct roles for the vasculature in tissue architecture and function.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Dynamics of Spaetzle morphogen shuttling in the Drosophila embryo shapes gastrulation patterning
Summary: Live imaging of the early Drosophila embryo reveals the dynamics of an extracellular morphogen gradient that undergoes continuous refinement by ligand shuttling, generating a sharp morphogen peak that is essential for patterning gastrulation.
Temporospatial sonic hedgehog signalling is essential for neural crest-dependent patterning of the intrinsic tongue musculature
Summary: Temporospatial sonic hedgehog signalling in neural crest-derived lingual mesenchyme is involved in arrangement of the lingual muscles through tenocyte differentiation.
Crosslinking activity of non-muscle myosin II is not sufficient for embryonic cytokinesis in C. elegans
Highlighted Article: The motor activity of non-muscle myosin II is essential for cytokinesis and contributes to all stages of the process in C. elegans embryos.
Regulation of nuclear-cytoplasmic partitioning by the lin-28-lin-46 pathway reinforces microRNA repression of HBL-1 to confer robust cell-fate progression in C. elegans
Summary: Inhibition of nuclear accumulation and microRNA-mediated repression of protein synthesis cooperate to confer the necessary precision and robustness to temporal downregulation of a transcription factor.
GATA2 controls lymphatic endothelial cell junctional integrity and lymphovenous valve morphogenesis through miR-126
Summary: GATA2 and its target gene miR-126 are novel regulators of lymphatic endothelial cell junctions, which are important regulators of vascular morphogenesis.
Endocrine and local signaling interact to regulate spermatogenesis in zebrafish: follicle-stimulating hormone, retinoic acid and androgens
Summary: Retinoic acid is important for, and integrated into, the endocrine regulation of zebrafish spermatogenesis; however, in contrast to mammals, is not crucial for spermatogonia differentiation.
Three-dimensional live imaging of Atoh1 reveals the dynamics of hair cell induction and organization in the developing cochlea
Summary: Time-lapse three-dimensional imaging is a powerful method to analyze spatiotemporal gene expression changes of individual cells in inner and outer hair cell fate control of embryonic cochlear epithelium.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
Developmental analyses of mouse embryos and adults using a non-overlapping tracing system for all three germ layers
Highlighted Article: We have developed a new transgenic technique for simultaneous labelling of all three germ layers in mice that overcomes the difficulties of conventional single-gene tracing systems in precision lineage tracing.
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.