IN THIS ISSUE
SPOTLIGHT
- An interview with Kathryn Anderson
Summary: Kathryn Anderson, recipient of the Edwin G. Conklin medal, talks about swapping flies for mice, her work on primary cilia and why science needs more women in leadership positions.
MEETING REVIEW
- Quantitative stem cell biology: the threat and the glory
Summary: This meeting report highlights the major advances and emerging trends in quantitative stem cell biology as presented at the 5th annual Cambridge Stem Cell Symposium this year.
REVIEW
- The impact of transposable elements on mammalian development
Summary: This Review discusses how and when transposable elements are expressed during development and how they modulate genome architecture, gene regulatory networks and protein function during embryogenesis.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
- Sox2 and Lef-1 interact with Pitx2 to regulate incisor development and stem cell renewal
Highlighted article: Conditional Sox2 ablation affects dental epithelial stem cell proliferation and differentiation and causes arrested incisor development and abnormal molar development in rodents.
- Zika virus infection disrupts neurovascular development and results in postnatal microcephaly with brain damage
Highlighted article: A postnatal model for ZIKV infection reveals blood-brain barrier leakage, neuronal death, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of NPCs, leading to microcephaly with brain damage in ZIKV-infected pups.
- MicroRNA deep sequencing in two adult stem cell populations identifies miR-501 as a novel regulator of myosin heavy chain during muscle regeneration
Summary: MicroRNA 501 is a novel muscle-specific microRNA that is induced during muscle regeneration and regulates the transition of myosin heavy chains during early myogenesis.
- Localization of planarian β-CATENIN-1 reveals multiple roles during anterior-posterior regeneration and organogenesis
Summary: Immunohistochemistry reveals an anteroposterior gradient of nuclear β-CATENIN-1 in the adult planarian, with the lowest levels in the pre-pharyngeal region and the highest levels at the tip of the tail.
- A reporter model to visualize imprinting stability at the Dlk1 locus during mouse development and in pluripotent cells
Summary: A Dlk1 knock-in reporter mouse reports allele- and tissue-specific Dlk1 expression in developing embryos that can be used to study changes in genomic imprinting during cellular reprogramming.
RESEARCH REPORT
- Antagonism between β-catenin and Gata.a sequentially segregates the germ layers of ascidian embryos
Summary: The antagonistic action between β-catenin and Gata.a in Ciona intestinalis is involved in segregation between ectoderm and endomesoderm at the 16-cell stage, and between endoderm and mesoderm at the 32-cell stage.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- A network of conserved formins, regulated by the guanine exchange factor EXC-5 and the GTPase CDC-42, modulates tubulogenesis in vivo
Summary: An EXC-5/FGD-CDC-42 pathway regulates the two formins INFT-2/INF2 and CYK-1/mDia to control F-actin levels and modulate cell outgrowth during tubulogenesis in C. elegans.
- The stage-dependent roles of Ldb1 and functional redundancy with Ldb2 in mammalian retinogenesis
Summary: Ldb1 and Ldb2 have both overlapping and specific functions in mouse retinal development, specifically in maintaining the pool of retinal progenitors and for the generation of early-born photoreceptors.
- Nuclei migrate through constricted spaces using microtubule motors and actin networks in C. elegans hypodermal cells
Summary: Nuclear migration through a constricted space of about 200 nm between muscle and cuticle in C. elegans larval P cells requires microtubule motors, actin and nuclear deformation.
- A new mode of mitochondrial transport and polarized sorting regulated by Dynein, Milton and Miro
Summary: Bi-directional mitochondrial transport driven by Dynein is regulated by Milton at primary anterograde sorting, whereas Miro regulates a retrograde transport switch.
- A gene regulatory network for apical organ neurogenesis and its spatial control in sea star embryos
Summary: The progression of apical organ neurogenesis in sea star larvae is controlled by the formation of nested concentric domains of gene expression along the anteroposterior axis.
- The GDNF-GFRα1 complex promotes the development of hippocampal dendritic arbors and spines via NCAM
Summary: Postsynaptic engagement of GDNF and GFRα1 is required for proper development of hippocampal dendritic arbors and spine maturation through NCAM signaling.
- Constitutive expression of microRNA-150 in mammary epithelium suppresses secretory activation and impairs de novo lipogenesis
Summary: A decline in miR-150 is critical for lactation, as pups nursed by dams in which this decline is prevented exhibit a dramatic decrease in survival compared with littermate controls.
- Functional antagonism of voltage-gated K+ channel α-subunits in the developing brain ventricular system
Summary: Voltage-gated K+ channels establish a balance between cell proliferation and barrier properties in the neuroepithelium that lines the ventricles during development of the zebrafish brain ventricular system.
- Escargot controls the sequential specification of two tracheal tip cell types by suppressing FGF signaling in Drosophila
Summary: The migratory behavior of tracheal fusion cells is controlled by the FGF-induced expression of the transcription factor Escargot, which subsequently suppresses ERK signaling.
TECHNIQUES AND RESOURCES
- iDamIDseq and iDEAR: an improved method and computational pipeline to profile chromatin-binding proteins
Summary: Critical improvements to the DamID protocol improve specificity and sensitivity in determining genome-wide protein-DNA interactions in transient or stable transgenic animal lines.
- Caspase-mediated apoptosis induction in zebrafish cerebellar Purkinje neurons
Summary: Tamoxifen-induced Caspase activation in zebrafish enables fast, efficient and specific cell ablation via targeted apoptosis.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST IN OUR OTHER JOURNALS
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Kathryn Virginia Anderson (1952-2020)
Developmental geneticist Kathryn Anderson passed away at home on 30 November 2020. Tamara Caspary, a former postdoc and friend, remembers Kathryn and her remarkable contribution to developmental biology.
Zooming into 2021
In a new Editorial, Editor-in-Chief James Briscoe and Executive Editor Katherine Brown reflect on the triumphs and tribulations of the last 12 months, and look towards a hopefully calmer and more predictable year.
Read & Publish participation extends worldwide
Over 60 institutions in 12 countries are now participating in our Read & Publish initiative. Here, James Briscoe explains what this means for his institution, The Francis Crick Institute. Find out more and view our full list of participating institutions.
Upcoming special issues
Imaging Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration
Submission deadline: 30 March 2021
Publication: mid-2021
The Immune System in Development and Regeneration
Guest editors: Florent Ginhoux and Paul Martin
Submission deadline: 1 September 2021
Publication: Spring 2022
Both special issues welcome Review articles as well as Research articles, and will be widely promoted online and at key global conferences.
Development presents...
Our successful webinar series continues into 2021, with early-career researchers presenting their papers and a chance to virtually network with the developmental biology community afterwards. Sign up to join our next session:
10 February
Time: 13:00 (GMT)
Chaired by: preLights