Xenopus
- Head formation requires Dishevelled degradation that is mediated by March2 in concert with Dapper1
Summary: The E3 ubiquitin ligase March2 and the Dsh-interacting protein Dapper1 cooperatively regulate turnover of Dsh via lysosomal degradation to antagonize Wnt signaling and contribute to Xenopus head formation.
- Xenopus ADAM19 regulates Wnt signaling and neural crest specification by stabilizing ADAM13
Summary: The metalloproteinase ADAM19 non-proteolytically interacts with ADAM13 and inhibits ADAM13 turnover to regulate Wnt signaling snail2 expression and neural crest specification in Xenopus.
- Polycystin 1 loss of function is directly linked to an imbalance in G-protein signaling in the kidney
Highlighted Article: Polycystin 1, which is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, relies on its binding to a select class of trimeric G proteins and its loss of function results in a hyper-sensitization of co-expressed GPCRs.
- A novel role for sox7 in Xenopus early primordial germ cell development: mining the PGC transcriptome
Summary: RNA-sequencing and genetic manipulation of Xenopus laevis PGCs reveal novel roles for sox7 and pou5f3.3 in PGC development and a high degree of conservation between the Xenopus and human PGC transcriptomes.
- Mechanical and signaling roles for keratin intermediate filaments in the assembly and morphogenesis of Xenopus mesendoderm tissue at gastrulation
Summary: This study highlights the functional consequences of uncoupling mechanical forces between cells undergoing collective cell movements. These connections are crucial to the assembly and shaping of mesendoderm at gastrulation.
- Maternal Dead-end 1 promotes translation of nanos1 by binding the eIF3 complex
Summary: A novel translational regulatory mechanism is demonstrated for the vertebrate-specific germline RNA-binding protein Dnd1, which promotes nanos1 translation by directly interacting with the translational machinery and the mRNA itself.
- PDGF controls contact inhibition of locomotion by regulating N-cadherin during neural crest migration
Summary: PDGF-A and its receptor control Xenopus neural crest migration by promoting EMT and contact inhibition of locomotion, acting via N-cadherin regulation at early stages of development and working as chemoattractant later.
- The phosphatase Pgam5 antagonizes Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in embryonic anterior-posterior axis patterning
Summary: Pgam5 interacts with Dishevelled2 and is essential for head formation, and for establishing and maintaining the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling gradient that patterns the anterior-posterior body axis in Xenopus laevis.
- Stomach curvature is generated by left-right asymmetric gut morphogenesis
Highlighted Article: Left-right patterning creates morphogenetic differences between the left and right walls of the vertebrate foregut that generate the asymmetric curvature of the stomach.