Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Three-dimensional external views of a mouse embryo model at E10.5 with all 19 Wnt gene expression patterns visualised, each in a different colour. See Research article by Murphy et al. (dev200312)
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
INTERVIEWS
PRIMER
Enhancer RNAs step forward: new insights into enhancer function
Summary: This Primer evaluates the ideas that underpin developing models for eRNA function, exploring cases in which perturbed eRNA function contributes to disease.
REVIEW
Physical organogenesis of the gut
Summary: This Review presents the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanical forces acting on the embryonic gut and their determining role in structuring the development of this organ.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
Csf1rb regulates definitive hematopoiesis in zebrafish
Summary: Csf1rb, a zebrafish homolog of mammalian CSF1R, regulates definitive hematopoiesis by modulating the proliferation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Molecular and cellular architecture of the larval sensory organ in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis
Summary:ISX-like homeobox gene is an FGF signalling-dependent transcription factor responsible for the formation of the apical tuft in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.
Target-dependent suppression of siRNA production modulates the levels of endogenous siRNAs in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline
Highlighted Article: Target-dependent suppression of siRNA production helps to distinguish self versus nonself siRNAs in C. elegans germline and adds complexity to RNAi-mediated epigenetics.
Drosophila CTP synthase regulates collective cell migration by controlling the polarized endocytic cycle
Summary: CTP synthase regulates border cell cluster migration in Drosophila by tuning the distribution of PIP2 and PI3P at the leading edge, promoting endocytic recycling and polarized distribution of RTKs.
PFN4 is required for manchette development and acrosome biogenesis during mouse spermiogenesis
Summary: PFN4-deficient male mice exhibit impaired acrosome formation and malformation of the manchette, leading to amorphous sperm head shape, flagellar abnormalities and sterility.
Etv4 regulates nociception by controlling peptidergic sensory neuron development and peripheral tissue innervation
Highlighted Article: The transcription factor Etv4 is required for correct epidermal innervation and function of peptidergic sensory neurons, regulating the expression of molecules associated with axonal growth and pain transduction.
The centriolar satellite protein Cfap53 facilitates formation of the zygotic microtubule organizing center in the zebrafish embryo
Summary: Cfap53 colocalizes with centrosomal and centriolar satellite proteins at the MTOC during the first zygotic cell division where it facilitates the recruitment of γ-tubulin and formation of the mitotic spindle.
Topological properties accurately predict cell division events and organization of shoot apical meristem in Arabidopsis thaliana
Summary: A network representation of live cell imaging data from shoot apical meristems in Arabidopsis thaliana is used to predict cell division events and their consequences at a tissue level.
Integrated analysis of Wnt signalling system component gene expression
Highlighted Article: A systematic analysis of integrated expression patterns of Wnt signalling pathway component-encoding genes and canonical pathway read-out, spatially mapped in 3D to mouse embryo models identifies co-expression territories.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
mBeRFP: a versatile fluorescent tool to enhance multichannel live imaging and its applications
Summary: A detailed characterization in Drosophila of the fluorescent protein mBeRFP, demonstrating its suitability for in vivo live imaging and for quantitative experiments in combination with other fluorescent proteins.
High-resolution ultrasound and speckle tracking: a non-invasive approach to assess in vivo gastrointestinal motility during development
Summary: Non-invasive high-resolution echography shows that GI contractions occur during fetal development and progress from an uncoordinated pattern to a more coordinated profile, highlighting the role of the ENS in stomach contraction synchronization.
FRaeppli: a multispectral imaging toolbox for cell tracing and dense tissue analysis in zebrafish
Summary: FRaeppli, a next-generation four-colour cell labelling tool for zebrafish, features versatile spatiotemporal activation, high-speed imaging options and spectral compatibility with green and infrared markers facilitating cell shape and lineage analysis.
Understanding the development of oral epithelial organs through single cell transcriptomic analysis
Summary: Single cell analysis of embryonic mouse mandibular ectoderm identifies distinct populations with defined gene regulatory networks and unveils epithelial zones that form progressively during oral-aboral patterning.
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 by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
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.