Featured
-
-
Article |
Identification of a link between Wnt/β-catenin signalling and the cell fusion pathway
Cell fusion is involved in many different cellular processes including the fusion of trophoblast cells in the placenta. Matsuuraet al. identify a role for the β-catenin signalling pathway in the regulation of the transcription factor GCM1 and therefore the fusion of syncytiotrophoblast cells.
- Ken Matsuura
- , Takafumi Jigami
- & Tetsu Akiyama
-
Article
| Open AccessProliferating versus differentiating stem and cancer cells exhibit distinct midbody-release behaviour
During cell division, a cytoplasmic bridge—the midbody—forms between the nascent daughter cells, but it has been unclear under which conditions this is retained by a daughter cell or released. Now, Ettinger and colleagues show that midbody-release occurs more frequently in stem cells compared with cancer cells.
- Andreas W. Ettinger
- , Michaela Wilsch-Bräuninger
- & Wieland B. Huttner
-
Article |
Pericytes resident in postnatal skeletal muscle differentiate into muscle fibres and generate satellite cells
The fusion of satellite cells to muscle fibres during adult life is required for both muscle growth and regeneration but it is unknown whether non-muscle cells contribute to this process. Now, Dellavalle and colleagues show that pericytes, cells associated with the vasculature can contribute to both growth and regeneration of muscle fibres.
- A. Dellavalle
- , G. Maroli
- & G. Cossu
-
Article |
Electrosensory ampullary organs are derived from lateral line placodes in bony fishes
Ampullary organs are involved in electroreception, but whether these are derived from placodes, thickened ectoderm, is unclear. In this study, the ampullary organs of the primitive ray-finned fish,Polyodon spathula, are shown to develop from lateral line placodes, suggesting that this is the ancestral state in bony fishes.
- Melinda S. Modrell
- , William E. Bemis
- & Clare V.H. Baker
-
Article
| Open AccessTravelling and splitting of a wave of hedgehog expression involved in spider-head segmentation
During development, waves of gene expression are required for segmentation of the body axis. In this study, repeated splitting of a wave of hedgehog gene expression is shown during segmentation of the spiderAchaearanea tepidariorum.
- Masaki Kanayama
- , Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- & Hiroki Oda
-
Article |
Reprogramming within hours following nuclear transfer into mouse but not human zygotes
The generation of human cell lines using somatic cell nuclear transfer has been difficult to achieve. In this study, Egliet al. show that while mouse eggs reprogram somatic cells within hours, human eggs arrest after nuclear transfer which may be due to a lack of genome transcription.
- Dieter Egli
- , Alice E. Chen
- & Kevin Eggan
-
Article
| Open AccessA shift of the TOR adaptor from Rictor towards Raptor by semaphorin in C. elegans
What controls the binding partner selection of the target of rapamycin protein, TOR, is unknown. Using theCaenorhabditis elegans tail as a model, Nukazuka et al. determine that signals of semaphorin through plexin control the binding partner selection of TOR and are required for the correct organization of rays in the tail.
- Akira Nukazuka
- , Shusaku Tamaki
- & Shin Takagi
-
Article |
In vitro production of fertile sperm from murine spermatogonial stem cell lines
Recent technological advances have allowed the expansion of spermatogonial stem cellsin vitro; however, in vivo conditions are required for the full differentiation of the cells. In this study, an in vitroorgan culture system is developed that allows the differentiation of the germ cells in the laboratory.
- Takuya Sato
- , Kumiko Katagiri
- & Takehiko Ogawa
-
Article |
In-vitro derived germinal centre B cells differentially generate memory B or plasma cells in vivo
In response to antigens, B cells proliferate and form germinal centres before differentiating into memory B cells or long-lived plasma cells. Here, a culture method is used to expand B cells in vitro, with the ability to shift the fate of the cells between memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells.
- Takuya Nojima
- , Kei Haniuda
- & Daisuke Kitamura
-
Article
| Open AccessBlimp1 regulates the transition of neonatal to adult intestinal epithelium
Many mammals are born with an immature intestinal epithelium, which adapts to a changing diet during the weaning period. Muncanet al. show that the transcriptional repressor Blimp1is expressed in the intestine of mice at birth, and that expression is lost at the transition to the weaning stage.
- Vanesa Muncan
- , Jarom Heijmans
- & Gijs R. van den Brink
-
Article
| Open AccessActive sampling and decision making in Drosophila chemotaxis
Drosophila melanogaster larvae demonstrate chemotaxis towards odours but their navigation mechanism is poorly understood. Using computer-vision tracking, Gomez-Marinet al.show that larvae ascend odour gradients using an active sampling strategy that is analogous to sniffing in vertebrates.
- Alex Gomez-Marin
- , Greg J. Stephens
- & Matthieu Louis
-
Article |
Critical roles for EphB and ephrin-B bidirectional signalling in retinocollicular mapping
How retinoganglion cell axons project correctly to the superior colliculus is poorly understood. Here, projections are shown to require EphB1, EphB2 and ephrin-B1 to terminate in the medial superior colliculus, while ephrin-B2 is essential for the mapping of both dorsal and ventral axons.
- Sonal Thakar
- , George Chenaux
- & Mark Henkemeyer
-
Article |
Insights into bird wing evolution and digit specification from polarizing region fate maps
Bird wings resemble the digits on the hands of dinosaurs, but which digit positions gave rise to those seen in modern birds is still unclear. In this work, long-term fate maps of the chick wing polarizing region are presented, supporting fossil data that birds descended from theropods that had digits 1, 2 and 3.
- Matthew Towers
- , Jason Signolet
- & Cheryll Tickle
-
Article
| Open AccessRhythmic actomyosin-driven contractions induced by sperm entry predict mammalian embryo viability
Cytoplasmic flows—the movement of cytoplasmic material—can be detected following the fertilization of an egg by a sperm in many species. In this study, rhythmic cytoplasmic flows are shown to be induced in mice by calcium-induced cytoskeleton contractions which could be used to predict the successful outcome of fertilization.
- Anna Ajduk
- , Tagbo Ilozue
- & Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
-
Article
| Open AccessCytosine methylation regulates oviposition in the pathogenic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni
The chronic disease schistosomiasis is caused by the blood flukeSchistosoma mansoni. By studying DNA modifications throughout the lifecycle of the pathogen, the authors identify DNA methylation as a factor in egg development and suggest that the epigenetic machinery responsible may be a therapeutic target.
- Kathrin K. Geyer
- , Carlos M. Rodríguez López
- & Karl F. Hoffmann
-
Article |
Local BMP receptor activation at adherens junctions in the Drosophila germline stem cell niche
Studying the physical interaction of stem cells with their niche has previously been difficult. Using a fluorescence-based reporter, Michelet al. are able to show that bone morphogenetic protein signalling occurs between Drosophilatestes germline stem cells and their niche and is via adherens junctions.
- Marcus Michel
- , Isabel Raabe
- & Christian Bökel
-
Article
| Open AccessRegenerative capacity in newts is not altered by repeated regeneration and ageing
Tissue regeneration is of great interest; however the number of times a given tissue can regenerate is unknown. Now, Eguchiet al. demonstrate that the lens of the Japanese newt—Cynops pyrrhogaster—can regenerate 18 times over a 16-year period, and that the new lenses are similar to those of control adult animals.
- Goro Eguchi
- , Yukiko Eguchi
- & Panagiotis A. Tsonis
-
Article |
The Wnt3a/β-catenin target gene Mesogenin1 controls the segmentation clock by activating a Notch signalling program
During development, Wnt-mediated Notch signalling controls the generation of somites from the presomitic mesoderm, but the precise signalling mechanism is unknown. Here, the transcription factor Mesogenin 1 is shown to be a direct target of Wnt3a and regulates the transcription of a Notch signalling program.
- Ravindra B. Chalamalasetty
- , William C. Dunty Jr
- & Terry P. Yamaguchi
-
Article
| Open AccessIdentification of vertebra-like elements and their possible differentiation from sclerotomes in the hagfish
Hagfish, a group of extant jawless fish, lack true vertebrae, but it is not clear if hagfish lack all vertebrata-like structures. Here the authors report the presence of vertebra-like cartilages in the in-shore hagfish, suggesting that the hagfish underwent secondary reduction of vertebra.
- Kinya G. Ota
- , Satoko Fujimoto
- & Shigeru Kuratani
-
Article
| Open AccessNeural crest cells organize the eye via TGF-β and canonical Wnt signalling
In the developing eye, the lens and retina are derived from different embryonic tissues, and how these two structures develop next to each other is of interest. In this study, the authors show that transforming growth factor-β secreted by neural crest cells is critical for the positioning of the lens next to the retina.
- Timothy Grocott
- , Samuel Johnson
- & Andrea Streit
-
Article
| Open AccessIntestinal epithelial stem cells do not protect their genome by asymmetric chromosome segregation
It has been proposed that stem cells use nonrandom chromosome segregation to avoid the accumulation of replication-induced mutations. Here, the authors examine intestinal epithelial stem cell division and show, using label exclusion and retention assays, that the cells segregate their chromosomes randomly.
- Marion Escobar
- , Pierre Nicolas
- & Catherine Legraverend
-
Article |
Wwp2 is essential for palatogenesis mediated by the interaction between Sox9 and mediator subunit 25
Sox9 is an important transcription factor in the formation of cartilage chondrogenesis that occurs during skeletal development. Nakamuraet al.show that Sox9 interacts with Wwp2 and Med25 to form a complex and that loss of either protein in zebrafish results in altered palate chondrogenesis.
- Yukio Nakamura
- , Koji Yamamoto
- & Haruhiko Akiyama
-
Article
| Open AccessComparative transcriptome analysis reveals vertebrate phylotypic period during organogenesis
The conservation of embryonic development across species is of great interest in evolutionary biology. Here, using transcriptome analysis, the authors show that the pharyngula stage of development—in mid-embryogenesis—is conserved between mice, chickens, frogs and zebrafish.
- Naoki Irie
- & Shigeru Kuratani
-
Article
| Open AccessDrosophila neuroblasts retain the daughter centrosome
Asymmetric partitioning of centrosomes has been reported inDrosophilaneuroblasts, but whether this type of division has implications for stem cell self-renewal is unclear. In this study, the authors show that the asymmetric division of the centrosomes correlates with the asymmetric fate of the cells and that the daughter centrosome is retained by the neuroblast.
- Jens Januschke
- , Salud Llamazares
- & Cayetano Gonzalez
-
Article |
5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in the mammalian zygote is linked with epigenetic reprogramming
Pronucleus DNA becomes demethylated during zygotic development. Here, the authors demonstrate that the reduction in 5-methylcytosine levels is accompanied by an increase in the presence of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, and suggest that this has a role in developmental reprogramming.
- Mark Wossidlo
- , Toshinobu Nakamura
- & Jörn Walter
-
Article |
Human TSC2-null fibroblast-like cells induce hair follicle neogenesis and hamartoma morphogenesis
Mutations inTSC2 lead to the formation of benign tumours called hamartomas. In this study, using a mouse xenograft model, the authors demonstrate that fibroblasts from patients carrying TSC2mutations can induce keratinocytes to form both hair follicles and hamartoma-like growths with active mTOR signalling.
- Shaowei Li
- , Rajesh L. Thangapazham
- & Thomas N. Darling
-
Article |
Migration of growth factor-stimulated epithelial and endothelial cells depends on EGFR transactivation by ADAM17
Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinases FGFR2 and VEGFR2 results in ERK1/2 phosphorylation and cell migration. Here, the authors demonstrate that shedding of HB-EGF—a substrate of the metalloproteinase ADAM17—and activation of EGFR is required for FGFR2 and VEGFR2 mediated cell migration.
- Thorsten Maretzky
- , Astrid Evers
- & Carl P. Blobel
-
Article
| Open AccessRetinoid-independent motor neurogenesis from human embryonic stem cells reveals a medial columnar ground state
There is much interest in generating motor neurons from embryonic stem cells because they may be useful for the study of neurodegenerative disease. Pataniet al. show that in the absence of retinoic acid, neurons with features of medial motor columnar neurons can be generated from human embryonic stem cells.
- R. Patani
- , A. J. Hollins
- & S. Chandran
-
Article
| Open AccessThe Ufm1-activating enzyme Uba5 is indispensable for erythroid differentiation in mice
Post-translational modifications are important in regulating protein function and turnover, and Ufm1 is part of a recently identified protein modification system. In this study, the authors show that Uba5, a component of the Ufm1 system, is important for regulating haematopoiesis and the differentiation of erythroid cells.
- Kanako Tatsumi
- , Harumi Yamamoto-Mukai
- & Masaaki Komatsu
-
Article |
Asymmetric spermatocyte division as a mechanism for controlling sex ratios
Some organisms produce unequal numbers of male and female progeny, but the mechanics of skewed of sex ratios are largely unknown. Here, the authors describe alterations in X-chromosome segregation and cytoplasmic partitioning during spermatogenesis that together explain the distorted sex ratio in a nematode species.
- Diane C. Shakes
- , Bryan J. Neva
- & Andre Pires-daSilva
-
Article
| Open AccessNeural stem and progenitor cells shorten S-phase on commitment to neuron production
During neurogenesis, neural stem and progenitor cells can either proliferate or produce neurons. Here, the authors show that proliferating neural stem and progenitor cells have a longer S-phase portion of the cell cycle than cells committed to neuron production, suggesting that this may enable faithful DNA replication.
- Yoko Arai
- , Jeremy N. Pulvers
- & Wieland B. Huttner
-
Article
| Open AccessDynamic evolution of precise regulatory encodings creates the clustered site signature of enhancers
InDrosophila development, DNA enhancers drive gene expression in response to morphogen gradients. Here, Crocker et al. study the evolution of sequences that bind a Dorsal morphogen complex and demonstrate how evolutionary changes in threshold levels have resulted in complex site clustering of DNA elements.
- Justin Crocker
- , Nathan Potter
- & Albert Erives
-
Article
| Open AccessSuperconception in mammalian pregnancy can be detected and increases reproductive output per breeding season
Superfetation, or conception while already pregnant, has been reported in some species. Using up-to-date ultrasound imaging techniques, the authors of this study confirm superconception in the European brown hare and suggest that this phenomenon is an evolutionary adaptation.
- Kathleen Roellig
- , Frank Goeritz
- & Thomas B. Hildebrandt
-
Article |
Non-muscle myosin II regulates survival threshold of pluripotent stem cells
When cultured as single cells, embryonic stem cells have low viability. Here, blebbistatin, a non-muscle myosin II inhibitor, is shown to enhance the cloning efficiency, viability and adhesion of both human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cellsin vitro.
- Andrea Walker
- , Hua Su
- & Noboru Sato
-
Article
| Open AccessBlending of animal colour patterns by hybridization
Many animals have complex body patterns, which are fixed in some species and flexible in others. Here, using reaction-diffusion mathematical models, together with salmonid fish crosses, intermediate patterns are shown to occur in hybrid animals produced by mating species with different flexible patterns.
- Seita Miyazawa
- , Michitoshi Okamoto
- & Shigeru Kondo
-
Article
| Open AccessIdentification of Thymosin β4 as an effector of Hand1-mediated vascular development
The Hand1 transcription factor plays a central role in cardiovascular development. Here the authors demonstrate that Hand1 regulates thymosin β4 and that the delivery of synthetic thymosin β4 can rescue some of the vascular defects in Hand1 null mouse embryos.
- Nicola Smart
- , Karina N. Dubé
- & Paul R. Riley
-
Article
| Open AccessOuabain protects against adverse developmental programming of the kidney
Poor maternal nutrition is known to affect fetal kidney development. This study shows that the sodium potassium ATPase ligand, ouabain, protects kidneys from cell death induced by serum starvationin vitro and from abnormal kidney development due to a low-protein diet in vivo.
- Juan Li
- , Georgiy R. Khodus
- & Anita Aperia
-
Article
| Open AccessAncestry of motor innervation to pectoral fin and forelimb
It was previously thought that the nerves in the pectoral fin of fish came solely from the spinal cord. Here, motoneurons in ray-finned fish are shown to also originate from the hindbrain, demonstrating that innervation was from both the hindbrain and the spinal cord in ancesteral vertebrates.
- Leung-Hang Ma
- , Edwin Gilland
- & Robert Baker
-
Article
| Open AccessDivergent transcriptional activities determine limb identity
The embryonic development of forelimbs and hindlimbs is regulated by transcription factors, including Pitx1, Tbx4 and Tbx5. In this study, the contributions of Tbx4 and Tbx5 to limb identity are further delineated, resulting in the demonstration of a role for Tbx4 in hindlimb skeletal and muscle patterning.
- Jean-François Ouimette
- , Marisol Lavertu Jolin
- & Jacques Drouin
-
Article
| Open AccessSonic hedgehog controls growth of external genitalia by regulating cell cycle kinetics
The faithful positioning and growth of cells during embryonic development is essential. In this study Seifertet al. demonstrate that inactivation of Sonic Hedgehogduring development of the genital tubercle results in a prolonged G1 phase and a slower rate of growth.
- Ashley W. Seifert
- , Zhengui Zheng
- & Martin J. Cohn
-
Article
| Open AccessOrganogenesis relies on SoxC transcription factors for the survival of neural and mesenchymal progenitors
During development Sox transcription factors play important roles in the determination of cell fate. In this study Bhattaram and colleagues show that Sox4, Sox11 and Sox12 act redundantly in mouse development and are important for the maintenance of neural and mesenchymal progenitor cells.
- Pallavi Bhattaram
- , Alfredo Penzo-Méndez
- & Véronique Lefebvre
-
Article
| Open AccessThe molecular network governing nodule organogenesis and infection in the model legume Lotus japonicus
Plant and bacteria symbiosis in some species results in the coordinate formation of nitrogen fixing nodules and infection of the plant host. Using mutantLotus japonicusplants, Madsen and colleagues have determined the role of 16 different genes in these two processes.
- Lene H. Madsen
- , Leïla Tirichine
- & Jens Stougaard
Browse broader subjects
Browse narrower subjects
- Ageing
- Angiogenesis
- Bone development
- Bone remodelling
- Cartilage development
- Cell growth
- Cell proliferation
- Ciliogenesis
- Differentiation
- Disease model
- Embryogenesis
- Embryology
- Epigenetic memory
- Experimental organisms
- Germline development
- Haematopoiesis
- Intrauterine growth
- Lymphangiogenesis
- Morphogenesis
- Neurogenesis
- Organogenesis
- Pattern formation
- Pluripotency
- Reprogramming
- Self-renewal
- Senescence
- Stem-cell niche
- Stem cells
- Transdifferentiation