Developmental biology最新文献

{"title":"Naturally occurring, rostrally conjoining chicken twins attempt to make a forebrain","authors":"Frank R. Schubert ,&nbsp;Susanne Dietrich","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conjoined twinning is a special case of monozygotic, monoamniotic twinning. Human conjoined twinning, and vertebrate conjoined twinning in general, is a very rare phenomenon. It has been suggested that the risk of conjoined twinning increases with some medication and upon assisted reproduction. Survival rates are low.</div><div>When conjoined twins occur in the chicken, they most often present with fused heads, anatomically unrecognisable brains and two normal bodies. Recent studies suggested that forebrain, midbrain and rostral hindbrain identities are established in the early epiblast before neural induction and independent from caudal hindbrain and spinal cord identities. Therefore, it is unclear whether in conjoined twins, the aberrant brain anatomy is a result of the rostral fusion, or whether the brains failed to develop in the first place.</div><div>Here, we collected conjoined twins as they spontaneously appeared in eggs incubated for stages HH4 (late primitive steak stage) to HH13 (early pharyngula). The twinned embryos and stage-matched normal embryos were analysed for the expression of the rostral epiblast and forebrain-midbrain marker <em>Otx2</em> and the ventral forebrain marker <em>Six3</em>. We found normal anatomy and marker gene expression that lasted up to stage HH9. By HH12-13, the brain anatomy had deteriorated, but marker genes remained expressed. This suggests that the fusing embryos attempted to generate a brain including the forebrain.</div><div>Besides addressing forebrain development, our work for the first time provides a time frame to study the mechanisms underlying the interaction and fusion of conjoined twins, which will pave the way to a better understanding and management of risk factors in humans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 171-179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143028095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Loss of KAT6B causes premature ossification and promotes osteoblast differentiation during development","authors":"Maria I. Bergamasco ,&nbsp;Jacqueline M. Ogier ,&nbsp;Alexandra L. Garnham ,&nbsp;Lachlan Whitehead ,&nbsp;Kelly Rogers ,&nbsp;Gordon K. Smyth ,&nbsp;Rachel A. Burt ,&nbsp;Anne K. Voss ,&nbsp;Tim Thomas","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The MYST family histone acetyltransferase gene, KAT6B (MYST4, MORF, QKF) is mutated in two distinct human congenital disorders characterised by intellectual disability, facial dysmorphogenesis and skeletal abnormalities; the Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson variant of Ohdo syndrome and Genitopatellar syndrome. Despite its requirement in normal skeletal development, the cellular and transcriptional effects of KAT6B in skeletogenesis have not been thoroughly studied. Here, we show that germline deletion of the <em>Kat6b</em> gene in mice causes premature ossification <em>in vivo</em>, resulting in shortened craniofacial elements and increased bone density, as well as shortened tibias with an expanded pre-hypertrophic layer, as compared to wild type controls. Mechanistically, we show that the loss of KAT6B in mesenchymal progenitor cells promotes transition towards an osteoblast-progenitor state with upregulation of gene targets of RUNX2, a master regulator of osteoblast development and concomitant downregulation of SOX9, a critical gene in chondrocyte development. Moreover, we find that compound heterozygosity at <em>Kat6b</em> and <em>Runx2</em> loci partially rescues the reduction in ossification of <em>Runx2</em> heterozygous, but not homozygous mice, suggesting that KAT6B may limit the action of RUNX2, possibly through a role in maintaining progenitors in an undifferentiated state. Moreover, our results show that KAT6B has essential roles in regulating the expression of a large number of genes involved in skeletogenesis and bone development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 141-154"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143001801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outside Back Cover - Graphical abstract TOC/TOC in double column/Cover image legend if applicable, Bar code, Abstracting and Indexing information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0012-1606(25)00019-3","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0012-1606(25)00019-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"519 ","pages":"Page OBC"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of serendipity in our investigation of embryo implantation","authors":"Ann E. Sutherland","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Serendipity plays a huge role in science, and having a prepared mind that can seize upon a chance observation or occurrence can drive a project forward. This happened in my lab with a project centered on the regulation of trophoblast cell behavior at implantation. We discovered that amino acids regulate the onset of trophoblast motility through the activation of the kinase complex mTORC1, and that this acts as a checkpoint to trophoblast differentiation. This finding not only broadened our understanding of the mechanisms underlying embryo implantation, but also provided new ways of thinking about the regulation of diapause, a state of suspended embryonic development that occurs in many species. I should say that we <u>re-discovered</u> the fact that amino acids regulate the onset of trophoblast motility, as reading the literature showed us that others had made this same observation some 30 years previously and we were fortuitously able to build upon those findings. This project confirmed to me how valuable it is to read the literature widely, both historical papers and those in fields outside one's area of research, and to go to seminars on topics outside one's area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 135-140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143001805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammalian lactation as a framework for teaching development, physiology, and cell biology for social change","authors":"Melissa E. Marks,&nbsp;Emma J. Coddington Brown","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mammalian lactation is a dynamic process that develops throughout the lifespan of an organism. Here we present a framework for a third semester core course in biology that centers course content on lactation allowing examination of the developmental process as a dynamic whole-body experience involving changes occurring at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels of organization. Inequitable economic, socio- and geopolitical systems structure social determinants of health, affecting rates of breastfeeding in human populations. By integrating content exploring the ways social and biological systems impact breastfeeding rates in human populations, students develop abilities to understand the relationship between science and society throughout the course, a critical core competency for engaging in social change. Importantly, they interrogate social systems while simultaneously learning about many canonical biological processes including how natural selection and constraint have shaped the anatomy, physiology, cell biology, and biochemistry of lactation, how proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates are synthesized, processed, and exported through the endomembrane system in eukaryotes, and how neuronal and hormonal feedback mechanisms regulate milk synthesis and secretion. The course is structured using a flipped-classroom design emphasizing revision and student-self assessment that supports development of biological knowledge, social responsibility, and metacognitive skills. Because mammalian lactation includes fascinating, nuanced, and complex components that cross interdisciplinary boundaries, it provides a wealth of opportunities for faculty to teach developmental biology for social change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 180-190"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143001803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interplay of canonical and LIMK mediated non-canonical BMP signaling is essential for regulating differential thickness and invagination during chick forebrain roof plate morphogenesis","authors":"Mohd Ali Abbas Zaidi ,&nbsp;Sweta Kushwaha ,&nbsp;Niveda Udaykumar ,&nbsp;Pallavi Dethe ,&nbsp;Meenu Sachdeva ,&nbsp;Jonaki Sen","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Telencephalic hemisphere formation is a complex and precisely timed process, which begins in the chick forebrain with an invagination in the middle of the roof plate. However, the factor(s) that determine the position/site of invagination in the roof plate remain to be elucidated. In this study, we have demonstrated that as development proceeds, a region of lower thickness appears in the middle of the roof plate, which marks the position where the invagination begins. Our investigations have implicated an interplay between the canonical (pSMAD 1/5/9 dependent) and the non-canonical (LIMK dependent) arms of BMP signaling in regulating this process. We have demonstrated that LIMK dependent non-canonical BMP signaling induces high levels of phosphorylated Cofilin (pCofilin) in the middle of the roof plate, which in turn alters Actin cytoskeleton dynamics, resulting in this region being thinner than the lateral regions. This study has provided the first mechanistic insight into how forebrain roof plate invagination begins and has thrown light on the role played by BMP signaling in this process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 125-134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143001798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of lens-regulated genes driving anterior eye development","authors":"Verónica Murcia-Belmonte ,&nbsp;Yanlin Liu ,&nbsp;Sadia Shamsi ,&nbsp;Sophie Shaw ,&nbsp;Elaina Collie-Duguid ,&nbsp;Eloisa Herrera ,&nbsp;J. Martin Collinson ,&nbsp;Neil Vargesson ,&nbsp;Lynda Erskine","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Signals from the lens regulate multiple aspects of eye development, including establishment of eye size, patterning of the presumptive iris and ciliary body in the anterior optic cup and migration and differentiation of neural crest cells. To advance understanding of the molecular mechanism by which the lens regulates eye development, we performed transcriptome profiling of embryonic chicken retinas after lens removal. Genes associated with nervous system development were upregulated in lens-removed eyes, but the presumptive ciliary body and iris region did not adopt a neural retina identity following lens removal. Lens-regulated genes implicated in periocular mesenchyme, cornea and anterior optic cup development were identified, including factors not previously implicated in eye development. Unexpectedly, transcriptomic differences were identified in retinas from male versus female chicken embryos, suggesting sexual dimorphism from early stages. In situ hybridisation of embryonic chicken eyes and analyses of datasets from embryonic mouse and adult human eyes confirmed expression of candidate genes, including multiple WNT genes, in tissues important for anterior eye development and function. Remarkably, pharmacological activation of canonical WNT signalling restored eye development and size in the absence of the lens. These analyses have identified candidate genes and biological pathways involved in eye development, providing avenues for new research in this area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 91-107"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143001809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reichert's membrane – A continuing enigma for developmental biologists","authors":"Andrew J. Copp","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reichert's membrane (RM) is a basement membrane of gigantic proportions that surrounds the mammalian embryo following implantation. It is part of the parietal yolk sac, which originates from the wall of the preimplantation blastocyst. RM persists from implantation to birth in rodents and analogous structures occur in other mammals, including primates. RM fulfils a vital role in early postimplantation rodent development, by mechanically buffering the elongating, pre-gastrulation embryo against vigorous uterine contractions, which occur at that stage of pregnancy. It persists and enlarges throughout the remainder of gestation, to match the increasing volume of the embryo/fetus and its extraembryonic membranes, although its function at these later stages is unknown. By contrast, in whole embryo culture, RM fails to expand sufficiently to enable normal embryonic development, so that routine preparation for culture includes opening and removal of RM. Modifying the culture conditions can improve embryonic outcomes when RM is intact, but does not normalise development. Possible reasons for the dichotomy between the in vivo and in vitro significance of RM include: the absence of uterine contractions in vitro, which may serve to induce RM expansion in vivo; the absence of a decidual influence, which plays a vital role in maintaining embryos beyond implantation; failure of RM to grow in vitro, owing to insufficient proliferation or survival of the parietal endoderm, which synthesises RM; insufficient cellular recruitment into the parietal endoderm from the visceral endoderm; failure of RM to lose its physical integrity in vitro, thereby limiting its expansion. Distinguishing between these possible mechanisms will require new experimental research on RM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 75-81"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142970014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epithelial and mesenchymal compartments of the developing bladder and urethra display spatially distinct gene expression patterns","authors":"Jasmine,&nbsp;Divyeksha H. Baraiya,&nbsp;Kavya T.T.,&nbsp;Aparna Mandal,&nbsp;Shreya Chakraborty,&nbsp;Neha Sathish,&nbsp;Cynthia Marian Rebecca Francis,&nbsp;Diya Binoy Joseph","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lower urinary tract is comprised of the bladder and urethra and develops from the cloaca, a transient endoderm-derived structure formed from the caudal hindgut. After cloacal septation to form the urogenital sinus and anorectal tract, the bladder gradually develops from the anterior portion of the urogenital sinus while the urethra elongates distally into the genital tubercle. The bladder is a target for regenerative and reconstructive therapies but engineering an impermeable bladder epithelial lining has proven challenging. Urethral epithelial function, including its role as an active immune barrier, is poorly studied and neglected in regenerative therapy. A deeper understanding of epithelial patterning of the urogenital sinus by the surrounding mesenchyme, also accounting for sex-specific differences, can inform regenerative therapies. In this study, we identified spatially distinct genes in the epithelial and mesenchymal compartments of the developing mouse bladder and urethra that could be potential drivers of patterning in the lower urinary tract. Our data revealed spatially restricted domains of transcription factor expression in the epithelium that corresponded with bladder or urethra-specific differentiation. Additionally, we identified the genes <em>Wnt2</em>, <em>Klf4</em> and <em>Pitx2</em> that localize to the mesenchyme of the developing bladder and could be potential drivers of bladder differentiation. Our data revealed an increase in the expression of several chemokine genes including <em>Cx3cl1</em> and <em>Cxcl14</em> in the developing urethral epithelium that correlated with an increase in epithelial-associated macrophages in the urethra. A survey of sex-specific differences in epithelial and mesenchymal compartments revealed several differentially expressed genes between the male and female urethra but few sex-specific differences in bladder. By comparing spatially distinct gene expression in the developing lower urinary tract, our study provides insights into the divergent differentiation trajectories of the fetal bladder and urethra that establish their adult functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 155-170"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142970010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Pattern regulation in epimorphic fields”, aka the polar coordinate model","authors":"Jonathan M.W. Slack","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Polar Coordinate Model (PCM) was a model, published in 1976, to account for the properties of distal regeneration in the appendages of insects and vertebrates. It had considerable impact at the time and has continued to be cited ever since. This article describes the work that led up to the model, the genesis of the model itself, its strengths and weaknesses, and its long term impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"520 ","pages":"Pages 82-90"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142970005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}