Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Volume rendering of an E16.5 mouse foetus based on X-ray microCT imaging. A novel protocol for staining cartilage matrix with Ruthenium Red is introduced that allows isotropic 3D imaging of the entire developing skeleton at micron resolution. See Research article by Gabner et al. (dev187633).
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
INTERVIEWS
SPOTLIGHT
Reclaiming Warburg: using developmental biology to gain insight into human metabolic diseases
Summary: As part of our Advocacy series, this Spotlight article highlights how developmental biologists can make unique and valuable contributions to the field of metabolism and physiology.
REVIEW
Transposable elements, circular RNAs and mitochondrial transcription in age-related genomic regulation
Summary: Accumulating evidence highlights the links between aging phenotypes, transposable elements, circRNAs and the mitochondrial transcriptome discussed in this Review.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
Evidence of two types of balance between stem cell mitosis and enterocyte nucleus growth in the Drosophila midgut
Summary: High tissue mitosis is inextricably linked to cancer predisposition. We find an antagonistic balance between intestinal mitosis and enterocyte nucleus growth, and Eiger that tilts their balance towards cell proliferation.
Pitx2-Sox2-Lef1 interactions specify progenitor oral/dental epithelial cell signaling centers
Summary: New mechanisms are shown for the role of two early epithelial signaling centers required for tooth development. A transcriptional network controlling stem cell proliferation and patterning is identified involving protein-protein interactions.
The atypical histone variant H3.15 promotes callus formation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Summary: Histone 3 variant H3.15 deposition facilitates the removal of the H3K27me3 and leads to the de-repression of callus regulators, thereby promoting callus formation in Arabidopsis.
RESEARCH REPORT
Vessel-derived angiocrine IGF1 promotes Meckel's cartilage proliferation to drive jaw growth during embryogenesis
Highlighted Article: This study shows IGF1 is secreted directly from endothelial cells in an angiocrine manner to instruct proliferation of Meckel's cartilage, underpinning correct jaw growth and extension during development.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
PRP8A and PRP8B spliceosome subunits act coordinately to control pollen tube attraction in Arabidopsis thaliana
Summary: PRP8A/PRP8B splicing factors exhibit spliceosome autoregulation, which is necessary for successful fertilization in Arabidopsis.
Transcriptional repression of Myc underlies the tumour suppressor function of AGO1 in Drosophila
Highlighted Article: In the Drosophila wing, the Argonaute family protein AGO1 acts independently of the miRNA-silencing pathway to restrict tissue growth by directly repressing transcription of the master growth regulator Myc.
Cdk8 is required for establishment of H3K27me3 and gene repression by Xist and mouse development
Summary: Mutagenesis studies enabled the functional characterization of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk8 in X chromosome inactivation, and showed that Cdk8 is required for efficient gene repression and PRC2 recruitment by Xist.
Cell-fate plasticity, adhesion and cell sorting complementarily establish a sharp midbrain-hindbrain boundary
Summary: The process of lineage restriction at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary occurs through multiple complementary mechanisms, which are, in sequence, cell-fate specification, lineage restriction, and cell sorting.
Polarized epidermal growth factor secretion ensures robust vulval cell fate specification in Caenorhabditis elegans
Summary: The sra-9 and nlp-26 genes are required for the polarized and directional secretion of the epidermal growth factor during vulval development in C. elegans.
Assisted reproductive technologies induce temporally specific placental defects and the preeclampsia risk marker sFLT1 in mouse
Highlighted Article: Pregnancies conceived using assisted reproductive technologies are at higher risk for abnormal placentation. Using a mouse model, we investigate how individual procedures contribute to placental defects across development.
VAPYRIN-like is required for development of the moss Physcomitrella patens
Highlighted Article: The VAPYRIN gene has evolved in plants that undergo endosymbiosis with fungi and bacteria. The nonsymbiotic moss Physcomitrella patens has retained a VAPYRIN homolog that regulates different aspects of developmental patterns.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
Enhanced Golic+: highly effective CRISPR gene targeting and transgene HACKing in Drosophila
Summary: E-Golic+ is an efficient gene targeting pipeline in male germ cells that enriches for correctly edited progeny, achieves previously unattainable gene editing and greatly facilitates transgene swapping.
The visible skeleton 2.0: phenotyping of cartilage and bone in fixed vertebrate embryos and foetuses based on X-ray microCT
Summary: A novel protocol for staining of cartilage matrix using Ruthenium Red, which allows isotropic 3D imaging of the entire E16.5 mouse skeleton.
History of our journals
As our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 years old, read about Development’s journey and highlights from some its first issues, and explore the history of each of our sister journals: Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open.
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 15 May 2025.
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.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.
