Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Cross section through an intervertebral disc of a ccn2abac:EGFP-expressing adult zebrafish, where yellow, magenta and cyan mark the Ccn2a-expressing cells, cell membrane and nuclei, respectively. See Research article by Rayrikar et al. (dev201036).
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
EDITORIAL
DEVELOPMENTAL TWISTS
PERSPECTIVE
INTERVIEW
DEVELOPMENT AT A GLANCE
Hox genes in development and beyond
Summary: This Development at a Glance article provides an overview of the genomic organization, protein structure and regulation of Hox genes and our current understanding of their roles both during and after embryogenesis.
REVIEW
Dorsal aorta polarization and haematopoietic stem cell emergence
Summary: A Review discussing how the formation of a polarised dorsal aorta leads to the creation of a unique niche suitable for haematopoietic stem cell emergence within the floor of this vessel.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
IGF2 interacts with the imprinted gene Cdkn1c to promote terminal differentiation of neural stem cells
Summary: Intraventricular infusion of recombinant insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) in a Cdkn1c-deficient mouse, reveals that p57 partially mediates the differentiation effects of IGF2 independently of its role in cell-cycle progression.
Ccn2a-FGFR1-SHH signaling is necessary for intervertebral disc homeostasis and regeneration in adult zebrafish
Summary: Ccn2a promotes intervertebral disc regeneration in aged degenerated discs in zebrafish. Thus, CCN2 could be exploited for therapeutic intervention in degenerated human discs.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Hydrozoan sperm-specific SPKK motif-containing histone H2B variants stabilise chromatin with limited compaction
Summary: Hydrozoan spH2B variants containing SPKK motifs package sperm chromatin with limited compaction yet reduce accessibility and downregulate transcription. This could contribute to sperm buoyancy as a reproductive adaptation.
Acquisition of the spindle assembly checkpoint and its modulation by cell fate and cell size in a chordate embryo
Highlighted Article: Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) acquisition is likely specific to Phallusia mammillata embryos, whereas modulation of SAC efficiency in SAC proficient stages depends on cell fate and cell size.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Isolation of a novel missense mutation in insulin receptor as a spontaneous revertant in ImpL2 mutants in Drosophila
Summary: Isolation of a temperature-sensitive mutation in insulin receptor could prove to be a valuable tool for the Drosophila genetic model of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Neurog2 regulates Isl1 to modulate horizontal cell number
Summary: Quantitative trait loci mapping identifies two genomic loci that epistatically modulate horizontal cell number in the mouse retina, uncovering a novel interaction between Neurog2 and Isl1 in the development of these cells.
Cell-specific effects of the sole C. elegans Daughterless/E protein homolog, HLH-2, on nervous system development
Summary: This paper shows that canonical proneural bHLH complexes do not globally affect neurogenesis in C. elegans but have selective effects in specific linages on specific neuronal features.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
An optimized Tet-On system for conditional control of gene expression in sea urchins
Summary: Conditional induction of gene expression to disrupt MAPK signaling using the Tet-On system in sea urchin embryos demonstrates the utility of this system to investigate later stages of development in echinoderms.
About us

Our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 this year. Read about the history of the Company and find out what Sarah Bray, our Chair of the Board of Directors, has to say.
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.