Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Mosaic expression of EGFP by endothelial cells in the retina, detected using an anti-GFP antibody. Mosaic labelling of individual cells highlights the diversity of endothelial cell morphologies, from elongated cells in mature vessels (bottom of image) to spiky, migratory tip cells in the sprouting part of the retina (top of image). See Research article by Grant et al. (dev199581).
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
PERSPECTIVE
INTERVIEW
SPOTLIGHT
Cell state transitions: definitions and challenges
Summary: This brief Spotlight article summarises some of the main messages that emerged from discussions at The Company of Biologists virtual workshop, ‘Cell State Transitions: Approaches, Experimental Systems and Models’.
REVIEW
Microtubule-dependent subcellular organisation of pluripotent cells
Summary: This Review details discoveries in microtubule organisation of early embryos and elucidates how the cytoskeleton-organelle interactome is an integral contributor to pluripotent cell identity in vivo and in vitro.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
RNA profiling of laser microdissected human trophoblast subtypes at mid-gestation reveals a role for cannabinoid signaling in invasion
Summary: Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of laser captured human trophoblasts showed that placental cells lining uterine arteries express cannabinoid receptor 1. Functional analyses suggest that endogenous/exogenous cannabinoids could affect placentation.
STEM CELLS AND REGENERATION
YAP establishes epiblast responsiveness to inductive signals for germ cell fate
Highlighted Article: YAP, an intracellular mediator of the Hippo signaling pathway, establishes epiblast competency for germ cell differentiation through activation of the WNT pathway.
Wnt/β-catenin signalling is dispensable for adult neural stem cell homeostasis and activation
Highlighted Article: Wnt/β-catenin signalling stimulation promotes the exit from quiescence and differentiation of adult hippocampal neural stem cells but is dispensable for homeostatic neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of young mice.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Development of follicular dendritic cells in lymph nodes depends on retinoic acid-mediated signaling
Summary: Early postnatal retinoic acid signaling is required for proper development of follicular dendritic cells in lymph nodes in mice.
The histone acetyltransferase HBO1 promotes efficient tip cell sprouting during angiogenesis
Highlighted Article: The histone acetyltransferase HBO1 is necessary for widespread chromatin organisation through its acetylation activity at H3K14, which promotes efficient tip cell behaviour during angiogenesis.
Lamb1a regulates atrial growth by limiting second heart field addition during zebrafish heart development
Summary: Analysis of heart development in lamb1a zebrafish mutants reveals a role for laminin in restricting heart growth during morphogenesis, preventing excessive contractility-driven addition of progenitor cells to the venous pole of the heart.
Formal proof of the requirement of MESP1 and MESP2 in mesoderm specification and their transcriptional control via specific enhancers in mice
Summary: Mouse lines created using genome editing technology reveal that MESP1 and MESP2 are required for mesoderm specification in a dose-dependent manner.
BLMP-1 promotes developmental cell death in C. elegans by timely repression of ced-9 transcription
Summary: The zinc-finger transcription factor BLMP-1, which controls larval development timing, also regulates embryonic tail-spike cell death initiation by repression of ced-9 transcription in C. elegans.
PCMD-1 bridges the centrioles and the pericentriolar material scaffold in C. elegans
Highlighted Article: PCMD-1 interacts with SPD-5, PLK-1 and SAS-4, forming a functional bridge between the two centrosomal components in C. elegans.
Trp53 ablation fails to prevent microcephaly in mouse pallium with impaired minor intron splicing
Summary: Ablation of Trp53 fails to rescue microcephaly caused by inhibition of the minor spliceosome in the developing mouse cortex, and uncovers a role for p53 in DNA damage.
RASSF8-mediated transport of Echinoid via the exocyst promotes Drosophila wing elongation and epithelial ordering
Highlighted Article: Cell junction remodelling is essential for tissues to acquire their shape during development. RASSF8 is required for exocyst-mediated transport of the adherens junction component Echinoid to promote Drosophila wing elongation.
Reduction of cortical parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in a rodent hyperoxia model of preterm birth brain injury with deficits in social behavior and cognition
Summary: Oxidative stress and impaired oligodendroglia-interneuron crosstalk, via decreased oligodendroglial GDNF expression, might cause the reduction of cortical PVALB+ interneurons. Observed ADHD- and ASD-like behavior could be explained by the pathologies of cortical interneurons.
Development Journal Meeting 2022: From Stem Cells to Human Development
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Following a virtual meeting in 2020, we are delighted to announce that the fifth iteration of our popular Journal Meeting will be held from 11-14 September 2022 at the historic Wotton House, Surrey. Registration is open now.
Special Issue: The Immune System in Development and Regeneration
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Our latest special issue is now complete. It showcases articles that add to the repertoire of immune cell functions during development, repair and regeneration, and provide insights into the developmental pathways leading to the generation and dispersal of these cells.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Preprints in Development
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As part of our efforts to support the use of preprints and help curate the preprint literature, we are delighted to launch a new article type: ‘In preprints’. These pieces will discuss one or more recent preprints and place them in a broader context. You can read the first article here.
FocalPlane Network launched
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Like the Node Network, the aim of the FocalPlane Network is to facilitate promotion and networking as well as assist those seeking conference speakers, committee members, reviewers or collaborators. We hope that it will help promote diversity in the community. Find out more and join the Network here.