Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.002
Kathryn M. Brewer , Katlyn K. Brewer , Nicholas C. Richardson , Jeremy F. Reiter , Nicolas F. Berbari , Mia J. Konjikusic
{"title":"Primary cilia and BBS4 are required for postnatal pituitary development","authors":"Kathryn M. Brewer , Katlyn K. Brewer , Nicholas C. Richardson , Jeremy F. Reiter , Nicolas F. Berbari , Mia J. Konjikusic","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Primary cilia orchestrate several signaling pathways, and their disruption results in pleiotropic disorders called ciliopathies. Bardet-Beidl syndrome (BBS), one ciliopathy, provides insights into cilia function in many tissues. Using a mouse model of BBS, <em>Bbs4</em> knockout (<em>Bbs4</em><sup><em>−/−</em></sup>), we found that adult <em>Bbs4</em><sup><em>−/−</em></sup> pituitaries are hypoplastic and have increased gonadotroph populations. Similarly, pituitary deletion of IFT88, required for ciliogenesis, attenuated growth and increased gonadotrophs. The developing <em>Bbs4</em><sup>−/−</sup> pituitary experienced mildly reduced Hedgehog (HH) signaling. Isolated <em>Bbs4</em><sup>−/−</sup> pituitary stem cells exhibited reduced HH signal responsiveness and expression of stem cell markers. These data demonstrate that cilia and BBS function are necessary for pituitary growth. We propose that altered cilia-mediated patterning of the pituitary contribute to physiological features of ciliopathies such as BBS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 20-31"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923441","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.012
Rosaria Scudiero, Teresa Chianese, Marina Prisco, Luigi Rosati
{"title":"The ovarian structure and oogenesis in the Podarcis siculus lizard: a comprehensive overview spanning over sixty years","authors":"Rosaria Scudiero, Teresa Chianese, Marina Prisco, Luigi Rosati","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oogenesis in oviparous vertebrates begins with a clustered gonad, a structure that may appear simple at first glance, but which conceals a certain complexity in the differentiation of follicles and the maturation of germ cells. The primordial follicle, originating from the germinal bed, undergoes a series of morphological changes involving both follicular cells and oocytes. This differentiation process requires a coordinated interplay between intrinsic factors and extrinsic signaling molecules. In this review, the process is described thanks to the research conducted over the years on the wall lizard <em>Podarcis siculus</em>. Overall, these studies have enabled the identification of the precise phases and molecules underlying follicular differentiation, the formulation of a hypothesis regarding the biseasonal origin of a currently annual reproductive cycle, and the recognition of the factors contributing to damage to the reproductive cycle of terrestrial oviparous vertebrates, caused by physical events such as temperature variations and chemical events such as environmental pollutants and endocrine disruptors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 135-143"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146043968","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.006
Aveeva Herold, Tamara Anne Franz-Odendaal
{"title":"Linkages between BMP, canonical WNT/β-catenin, and FGF20 signaling during placode formation in the chicken anterior eye segment","authors":"Aveeva Herold, Tamara Anne Franz-Odendaal","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mechanisms that regulate the even spacing of placodes during embryonic development remain intriguing. These mechanisms typically involve complex interactions between signaling pathways, which can be further influenced by mechanical forces as the embryo grows. Here, we investigate the patterning of the ring of conjunctival placodes in the anterior eye of chicken embryos by functionally manipulating the BMP signaling pathway. Specifically, we electroporated a <em>TWSG1</em> plasmid at HH27 to modulate BMP signaling during the pre-patterning phase and examined the effects on placode formation and key developmental pathways. Our results show that modulation of BMP signaling at HH27 influences placode development, morphology and spacing three days later, at HH34. qPCR data confirm an initial and statistically significant upregulation of <em>FGF20</em> and <em>WNT2B</em> 6 h after electroporation. However, one day later (at HH29), only <em>β-catenin</em> is significantly elevated. Multiplex fluorescent <em>in situ</em> hybridization shows <em>WNT2</em> expression in the conjunctival placodes and papillae for the first time. This <em>WNT2</em> expression is colocalized with <em>β-catenin</em> in controls and remains spatially colocalized after electroporation. Together, these results provide functional evidence that BMP signaling regulates both canonical WNT/β-catenin and FGF pathways during early placode formation and support a model in which BMP may act as the inhibitor in a Turing-like reaction–diffusion mechanism underlying conjunctival placode patterning in the anterior eye.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 115-124"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145997426","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.005
Edward Farrow , Smitha Rao , Simon J.Y. Han , Xuyao Chang , Cindy Huynh , Samantha A. Brugmann , Hee-Woong Lim , Jason Tchieu , Kenneth Campbell , Brian Gebelein
{"title":"An inducible system to study the regulatory functions of GSX2 in human lateral ganglionic eminence-like progenitors","authors":"Edward Farrow , Smitha Rao , Simon J.Y. Han , Xuyao Chang , Cindy Huynh , Samantha A. Brugmann , Hee-Woong Lim , Jason Tchieu , Kenneth Campbell , Brian Gebelein","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal models have demonstrated a critical role of the homeodomain transcription factor Genetic-Screened Homeobox 2 (Gsx2) in the developing basal ganglia. Moreover, recent clinical genetic studies have shown that GSX2 patient variants are associated with severe neurological symptoms and basal ganglia dysgenesis. Unfortunately, technical limitations with existing animal models, such as progenitor heterogeneity and limited temporal control, have impeded the investigation of direct regulatory targets. In this study, we engineered a Dox-inducible human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line to investigate the function of GSX2 in directed differentiation cultures that model developing lateral ganglionic eminence-like (LGE-like) progenitors. Transcriptomic, chromatin accessibility, and genomic binding studies revealed that GSX2: (1) binds both high- and low-accessibility chromatin using varying binding site preferences; (2) alters chromatin accessibility largely through indirect mechanisms; (3) functions primarily as a transcriptional repressor; and (4) regulates key conserved target genes that impact both neuronal progenitor maturation and regional specification. These results provide insight into the key regulatory roles and targets of GSX2, thereby establishing a new tractable experimental system to investigate basal ganglia development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 35-51"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145942788","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.010
Denis F. Faerberg , Victor Gurarie , Ilya Ruvinsky
{"title":"Detecting correlations, generating hypotheses, and avoiding pitfalls in the analysis of timeseries in developmental biology","authors":"Denis F. Faerberg , Victor Gurarie , Ilya Ruvinsky","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently available experimental approaches enable monitoring trait dynamics in singled individuals. One important advantage of individually resolved data is the ability to reveal correlations that can provide insights into regulatory processes underlying trait dynamics. Correlations within timeseries data likely result from continuous processes that govern trait dynamics, while lack of correlation may indicate changes in the underlying mechanisms. Examples of both are found in timeseries for traits ranging from growth to division timing during development to duration of life history stages. We offer practical recommendations, including the use of a previously proposed simple statistical test, for detecting correlations and, no less importantly, the absence of correlations in the kinds of timeseries that are often generated by developmental biologists. We pay particular attention to discriminating between real, biologically meaningful correlations and the artifactual ones that often arise when data are collected in multiple batches. Data sets that can be analyzed in this way likely already exist for various model systems and can be gathered while conducting other experiments. We advocate for analysis of individually resolved data as a powerful tool for generating empirically testable hypotheses in developmental biology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 101-114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146028829","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.008
Nathan L.Q. Anderson, Sen-Lin Lai, Chris Q. Doe
{"title":"Vnd and En are expressed in orthogonal stripes and act in a brief competence window to combinatorially specify NB7-1 and its early lineage","authors":"Nathan L.Q. Anderson, Sen-Lin Lai, Chris Q. Doe","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how neuronal diversity is generated is a major goal of neuroscience. Here we characterize the first step in generating neuronal diversity in the <em>Drosophila</em> embryo: spatial transcription factors (STFs) expressed in orthogonal rows and columns of neural progenitors. These factors give spatial identity to neural progenitors (neuroblasts, NBs), and are highly conserved in mammals. Here we investigate the roles of Engrailed (En+; posterior row) and Vnd+ (medial column) in specifying the well-characterized progenitor: neuroblast 7-1 (NB7-1). We show that NB7-1 is located at the intersection of Vnd and En, and we identify NB7-1 using a newly characterized gene, <em>fd4</em>, that we show is specifically expressed in NB7-1 and its progeny, giving us a specific assay for NB7-1 identity. We show that En and Vnd are both required for Fd4 expression, and that Vnd and En co-expression is sufficient to induce ectopic Fd4 expression in other NBs and their lineages. Finally, we show that NBs gradually lose competence to respond to En or Vnd. We conclude that En and Vnd are STFs that act combinatorially to specify the identity of an individual progenitor, NB7-1.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 73-82"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145988616","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.007
Punam Bala , Viswadica Prakki , Rohit Joshi
{"title":"SWI/SNF ATPase Brahma and Notch signalling collaborate with CBP/p300 to regulate neural stem cell apoptosis in Drosophila larval central nervous system","authors":"Punam Bala , Viswadica Prakki , Rohit Joshi","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>SWI-SNF ATPase Brahma and Notch signalling are known to interact during development, but how this interaction is executed at the molecular level is not fully understood. We have investigated the molecular mechanism of Brm-Notch interaction in the context of Hox-dependent neural stem cell (NSC) apoptosis in the developing Central Nervous System (CNS) of <em>Drosophila</em>. Our results suggest a multi-tier regulation of NSC apoptosis by Brahma, first by regulating the expression of Drosophila CBP/p300 (Nejire) and the molecular triggers of cell death (Hox, bHLH factor Grainyhead, and Notch signalling pathway). The second mode of regulation is by direct binding of Brahma to the apoptotic enhancer and its collaboration with Notch signalling pathway to regulate the <em>RHG</em> family of apoptotic genes, <em>grim and reaper</em>. Our data support a model where, upon activation of Notch signalling, Brahma and CSL-Su(H)/Mastermind complex recruit CBP/p300 onto the apoptotic enhancer. This increases the H3K27ac marks on the nucleosomes to open up the chromatin and facilitate apoptotic gene transcription in Abd-B and Grh dependent manner.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 60-72"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145958938","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.11.007
Isha Verma , R. Keith Duncan , Haylie L. Miller , Michael Uhler
{"title":"Teaching developmental neurobiology with inclusion and valuing of neurodivergent learners","authors":"Isha Verma , R. Keith Duncan , Haylie L. Miller , Michael Uhler","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developmental biology is one of the fundamental sciences for understanding the basics of life and often intersects with social justice challenges facing society. This article describes an inclusive teaching activity for students and instructors to explore the interface between developmental biology, genetic diversity, and social justice. The instructor and students will choose a recent publication and use it as the basis for exploring the roles of specific genes characterized in autism from educational, emulative, and ethical perspectives. The assignment for students will include a discussion and demonstration of developmental neurobiology and principles of gene function within the nervous system, as well as ethical considerations for how individuals, as well as society as a whole, should consider genetic variations. Two frameworks are introduced for instructors to create an inclusive learning environment, including universal design for learning and multipartiality. Resources and examples are given throughout the article for instructors to use, and a suggested rubric is also provided. A post-activity self-reflection performed by the students will facilitate their own assessment of how the teaching activity has impacted their philosophical and social perspectives on genetic diversity. The short-term goal of the activity is to promote an immediate appreciation of neurodiversity among the participating students, and the long-term goal is to demonstrate the importance of neurodiversity for developing a just society.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 83-100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145534086","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.009
Daniel R. Buchholz , Yun-Bo Shi
{"title":"The dual function model revisited by thyroid hormone receptor knockouts: Unliganded state controlling the initiation of adult organ development while liganded state ensuring larval tissue resorption during metamorphosis","authors":"Daniel R. Buchholz , Yun-Bo Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thyroid hormone (T3) plays a critical role in vertebrate development, particularly in postembryonic organ remodeling and maturation. Plasma level of T3 peaks during postembryonic development, which corresponds to the neonatal period in mammals when most organs/tissues mature into their adult forms or metamorphosis in amphibians when adult organs are formed <em>de novo</em> or remodeled from larval ones. The metamorphosis in anurans is perhaps the most dramatic, longest- and best-studied T3-regulated developmental process. Studies on metamorphosis in two highly related species, the allotetraploid <em>Xenopus laevis</em> and diploid <em>Xenopus tropicalis</em>, in over 3 decades since the cloning of T3 receptor (TR) have not only established predicted as well as novel roles of TR during development but also revealed <em>in vivo</em> molecular mechanisms underlying TR function. Here, we review some of these studies, with a particular focus on more recent TR knockout studies that have revealed unexpected, highly specific roles for unliganded and liganded TRs, i.e., controlling the initiation of adult organ development and ensuring larval tissue resorption, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 125-134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146017756","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}
Developmental biologyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.011
Robert J. Denver
{"title":"How does a tadpole know when to metamorphose? Integrating evolutionary, ecological, and developmental biology with the neuroendocrinology of amphibian metamorphosis","authors":"Robert J. Denver","doi":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.01.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amphibian metamorphosis is an excellent model for studying how selective pressures, environmental cues, endocrine signals, and molecular mechanisms influence developmental timing. In this minireview, I discuss key questions about the timing of metamorphosis, including: when and how do larvae acquire the ability to initiate metamorphosis; what historical and current ecological factors influence the optimal timing of transformation; and what are the physiological mechanisms that translate environmental information into a developmental response? From an ecological perspective, the timing of amphibian metamorphosis depends on growth opportunities and predation risks in the larval habitat. Nutrition, through its influence on growth and energy storage, plays a pivotal role in determining when a larva can undergo metamorphosis. Several hormones, whose production is controlled by nutrients, regulate growth and energy balance and promote development of the neuroendocrine system. The ability to initiate metamorphosis requires adequate body size and energy levels, expression of thyroid hormone (TH) receptors (TRs), and a functional thyroid gland and neuroendocrine system. Once started, metamorphic transformation is driven by rising plasma TH concentration. Environmental cues modulate thyroid activity via neuroendocrine stress pathways. The stress neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone is the primary neuroregulator of metamorphosis. It stimulates secretion of both TH and corticosteroids, and corticosteroids synergize with TH to enhance TH bioactivity by increasing TRs and TH metabolism. The combination of habitat quality, which affects growth and energy status, environmental stressors, and neuroendocrine signaling shapes the diversity in body size and larval period length among species and the plasticity in metamorphic timing within a species. Furthermore, many of these mechanisms are ancient and evolutionarily conserved.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11070,"journal":{"name":"Developmental biology","volume":"532 ","pages":"Pages 144-151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146043926","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}