{"title":"Ciliary-Mediated Mechanotransduction in Skeletal Development and Diseases.","authors":"Maryam Faisal, Lauren Tran, Yolanda Gutierrez, Jiarui Bi, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro Komatsu","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_12","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_12","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cells have a mechanism that converts physical forces into biochemical signals, a critical process known as \"mechanotransduction.\" Mechanotransduction plays a vital role in regulating multiple developmental and homeostatic events, including skeletal formation. Although underappreciated for decades, accumulated evidence now suggests that primary cilia play an important role in transducing mechanical stimuli. Since defects in the cilia result in multiple skeletal diseases, the importance of understanding the mechanisms between the mechanotransductive role of the cilia and skeletal health is paramount. However, the cellular mechanism of how cilia function as mechanosensors to control skeletal growth and homeostasis remains unclear. In addition, little is known about whether the manipulation of ciliary signaling related to defective mechanotransduction improves the skeletal disease conditions seen in osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of cilia and their role in mechanotransduction during skeletal development, with a focus on the function of key ciliary genes and intracellular signaling pathways in different skeletal cell types. We also highlight the broad impact of ciliary defects on mechanical stress-related skeletal diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"78 ","pages":"275-317"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydra at the Crossroads of Evolution: Insights into Cell-type Diversification, Regeneration, and Epigenetic Regulation.","authors":"Shivani Gupta, Pranav Prabhu, Prakansha Chaudhary, Puli Chandramouli Reddy","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_12","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_12","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the origins of cellular complexity and dynamics of gene regulatory modules is critical to gain insights into the multicellular organization in eumetazoan evolution. Positioned at the base of Eumetazoa, cnidarians such as Hydra offer crucial insights into these fundamental processes due to their unique combination of simple body plans and complex biological capabilities. Their key phylogenetic position allows researchers to trace the emergence of cell types such as neurons, gland cells, and germ cells, and also specialized cell types such as cnidocytes from common progenitor populations. Hydra has been known as a popular model system for studying its extraordinary regeneration process. This has enabled the understanding of the axis formation and cellular reprogramming, making it a valuable model for studying morphogenesis, patterning, and cellular plasticity. Moreover, Hydra exhibits conserved and dynamic epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs, which regulate gene expression across different cell types and during regeneration. Collectively, these features make Hydra an ideal system to investigate the evolution of cell types, the interplay between regeneration and developmental signaling, and the origins of epigenetic regulation in early multicellular life. Here, we synthesize existing knowledge to offer new perspectives and highlight the expanded potential of Hydra as a model system.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"76 ","pages":"249-290"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Iván P Uray, Sussy Cervantes Ramirez, Karen L Uray
{"title":"Modulation of the Mechanosensory Matrisome by Serotonergic Signaling.","authors":"Iván P Uray, Sussy Cervantes Ramirez, Karen L Uray","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_11","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_11","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of, perhaps, the least understood biogenic amine, serotonin, goes beyond transmitting information within the neuroendocrine system. Serotonin has emerged as a critical factor in diverse signaling events across various organs and tissues. In the central nervous system, serotonin, also referred to by its chemical name 5-hydroxytryptamine, regulates behavior, mood, anxiety, sleep, and learning. In the periphery, serotonin signaling is a critical factor in gastrointestinal homeostasis, platelet activation, mammary gland development, lactation, and involution. Various aspects of mammary and gut physiology depend on related functions, where mechanical and biochemical signals converge. In this chapter, we explore some of the overlapping mechanosensory functions modulated by serotonergic signaling that characterize the relatively static mammary gland and the mechanical active gastrointestinal system in their physiologic and disease states.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"78 ","pages":"249-272"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Javier Muro-Perez, Manuel Muro-Perez, Jose Antonio Galian, Noelia Pérez-López, Isabel Legaz, Manuel Muro
{"title":"Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA in Acute and Chronic Rejection of Solid Allograft Transplantation.","authors":"Javier Muro-Perez, Manuel Muro-Perez, Jose Antonio Galian, Noelia Pérez-López, Isabel Legaz, Manuel Muro","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Today, there have been spectacular advances in surgical techniques, organ preservation for transplantation, optimal and efficient donor and recipient selection, more efficient diagnosis of transplant complications, and major progress in pharmacological immunosuppression procedures. In this regard, survival rates after transplantation of various organs have been gaining ground, particularly in the case of lung transplants, whose average survival rate is lower than other types of transplants. In this regard, it is important to detect acute and subclinical clinical rejection, as well as chronic allograft rejection. This is especially important in heart and lung transplants. In the latter type of transplant, and due to the chronic dysfunction of the lung allograft, it is key to detect rejection early and promptly, as it can affect up to half of the transplant patient population. Therefore, effective diagnostic tools are needed to visualize the level of allograft damage using genomic methods such as those that measure donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA). The plasma concentration of dd-cfDNA increases after graft injury or infection. Our team has experience quantifying this parameter in allograft injury progression, and our experience and comparison with the published literature will be presented in the following sections, discussing validated and non-validated results.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"77 ","pages":"151-164"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145890329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Odei Barreñada, Andrew C Pearson, Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
{"title":"The Everlasting Ovary: Decoding the Mechanisms of Lifelong Oogenesis in the Naked Mole-Rat.","authors":"Odei Barreñada, Andrew C Pearson, Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a fascinating model organism which challenges conventional paradigms in evolutionary developmental biology. As one of the two known eusocial mammals with a reproductive hierarchy akin to social insects, the naked mole-rat presents an exceptional system for studying the interplay between social structure, environmental adaptation, and developmental plasticity. This chapter explores how the species' unique reproductive strategies-including lifelong fertility, postnatal oogenesis, and social suppression of reproduction-reshape our understanding of mammalian reproductive aging. The queen, the sole breeding female within a colony, maintains an exceptionally large ovarian reserve throughout life, defying the prevailing dogma of a fixed oocyte pool and progressive depletion. Unlike other mammals, germ cells in the naked mole-rat continue to proliferate postnatally, offering unprecedented insights into the regulation of ovarian function and reproductive longevity. Additionally, the integration of genomic, epigenetic, and neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying eusociality provides a rare perspective on how developmental processes can be shaped by cooperative behaviors and environmental constraints. By situating these traits within an evo-devo framework, this chapter underscores the naked mole-rat's potential to advance research in several fields such as aging, reproductive biology, and the evolution of complex social systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"76 ","pages":"47-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12721129/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Szczepan M Bilinski, Malgorzata Sekula, Magda Sochaczewska, Waclaw Tworzydlo
{"title":"Analysis of Bush Cricket Oogenesis Provides an Insight into the Function and Anagenesis of an Enigmatic Organelle Assemblage: The Balbiani Body.","authors":"Szczepan M Bilinski, Malgorzata Sekula, Magda Sochaczewska, Waclaw Tworzydlo","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Balbiani body (Bb) is an intricate, oocyte-specific organelle complex described in the ooplasm of nearly all examined vertebrates and invertebrates. The Bb is devoid of a limiting membrane and consists of such organelles as elements of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi complexes (GCs), mitochondria, and characteristic accumulations of fibrillo-granular material, termed the \"nuage.\" Despite numerous studies, the functioning of the Bb remains not completely understood. Until now at least four disparate functions have been attributed to the Bb: (1) delivery of germinal granules and localized mRNAs to the oocyte vegetal cortex; (2) transfer of mitochondria to the polar (germ) plasm; (3) selective elimination of dysfunctional (damaged, containing mutated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)) mitochondrial units in female germline cells; and (4) formation of oocyte reserve materials, e.g., lipid droplets. Such functional variability obviously raises several intriguing questions for students of developmental and cellular biology. Here we present the results of our studies on oogenesis of bush crickets that advance our understanding of the Bb function and anagenesis of this organelle complex during the evolution of bilateral animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"76 ","pages":"167-182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Forceful Beginnings: Mechanotransduction and Mechanosensation at the Meiotic Cell Nucleus During Gamete Development.","authors":"Rachel Nenstiel, Chenshu Liu","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_10","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-19509-8_10","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For most eukaryotes, sexual reproduction depends on meiosis, a specialized cell division and differentiation program that halves the parental genome to produce gametes such as eggs, sperm, and pollen. Accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis and the subsequent maturation of gametes are essential for reproductive success. Growing evidence suggests that mechanical forces acting on meiotic nuclei play essential roles in the development of healthy gametes. Here, we highlight how mechanical forces participate in key events through gamete development by focusing on three distinct yet related processes over space and time during the protracted meiotic prophase: (1) dynamic chromosome reorganization in early prophase, (2) control of gamete quality, and (3) gamete maturation. We center this chapter on Caenorhabditis elegans, in which the molecular logic of nuclear mechanotransduction during gamete development is especially well resolved. Where relevant, we summarize key findings in other model organisms to underscore conserved and divergent mechanisms. In addition to synthesizing current knowledge, this chapter outlines challenges and opportunities in studying the mechanisms and roles of force transmission and sensation at the nuclear envelope during gamete development-an emerging area with the potential to inform strategies that would improve reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"78 ","pages":"221-247"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samantha L Nelson, Sariah Hyacinth, Basmala Aldamak, Benjamin J Kopecky
{"title":"Vascular Remodeling in Chronic Rejection: Insights into Transplant Vasculopathy Across Solid Organ Allografts.","authors":"Samantha L Nelson, Sariah Hyacinth, Basmala Aldamak, Benjamin J Kopecky","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Solid organ transplantation is an established treatment method for individuals with end-stage organ dysfunction. However, despite the common perception that transplantation offers a lasting cure, transplant recipients have limited long-term treatment options for chronic rejection. Transplant vasculopathy is recognized as one of the defining pathological indicators of chronic rejection, characterized by diffuse intimal wall thickening compromising vessel function, and, in severe cases, leads to allograft failure. While the increasing number of solid organ transplants reflects the modern advancements in treating end-stage organ dysfunction, it also highlights the continuing challenge of understanding and developing effective therapies for managing chronic rejection.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"77 ","pages":"167-178"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145890459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stanislaw Stepkowski, Jared Oenick, Dulat Bekbolsynov, Beata Mierzejewska, Michael Rees, Obi Ekwenna
{"title":"How Cytokines Regulate Immune Response Toward Chronic Allograft Rejection?","authors":"Stanislaw Stepkowski, Jared Oenick, Dulat Bekbolsynov, Beata Mierzejewska, Michael Rees, Obi Ekwenna","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-07686-1_2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intensive research for 50 years did not find a way to predict the faith of organ transplants after successful transplantation. Current immunosuppressive regiments reduce kidney transplant acute rejection episodes to 6-11% for the first year, but 49% of them develop chronic allograft nephropathy in 5 years. Similarly, heart transplants have 8% acute rejection episodes in the first year and 50% develop cardiac vasculopathy in 5 years. Multiple cytokines regulate acute cellular T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) and acute antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and both mechanisms contribute to chronic allograft rejection. In addition to common γ chain (cγ) cytokines [interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21], other cytokines [IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-α, (IFN)α, INFβ, INFγ, tumor necrosis factor α, TNFα; tumor growth factor β, TGFβ] are all extensively involved in the regulation of acute and chronic allograft rejections. Interestingly, the same cytokines also regulate functions of normal cells and tissues. To induce transplant tolerance, it is necessary to maintain physiological cytokine levels as well as boost the function of T regulatory T (Treg) cells producing IL-10, IL-35, and TGFβ. This chapter emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a balance by cytokines to divert them from the inflammation path producing chronic rejection to normal function support combined with Treg-dominated transplantation tolerance.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"77 ","pages":"25-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145890345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Silvia Caballero-Mancebo, Daniel Gonzalez Suarez, Janet Chenevert, Alex McDougall, Hervé Turlier, Rémi Dumollard
{"title":"Marine Model Organisms for Mechanobiology Studies.","authors":"Silvia Caballero-Mancebo, Daniel Gonzalez Suarez, Janet Chenevert, Alex McDougall, Hervé Turlier, Rémi Dumollard","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/978-3-032-06766-1_6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Marine invertebrate species have been used as model organisms in evo-devo studies for over a century. These species provided a great advantage in seminal microscopic studies because of the large size of their eggs and embryos and the easy accessibility to the first embryological processes afforded by their external fertilization and development. This review provides a historical perspective on the use of marine invertebrates-including echinoderms, ascidians, and spiralians-in the study of embryo mechanics. Here, we highlight the key contributions of marine invertebrates to the understanding of cortical and cytoplasmic mechanics, the implementation of early cleavage patterns, and tissue mechanics. We also examine the emergence of different blastula shapes in metazoans and focus on the clear dichotomy between compact and hollow embryos, suggesting a canalization of a compact embryo shape in taxa that display invariant cleavage patterns such as nematodes, spiralians, and ascidians.With recent advances in high-resolution imaging, computational modeling, and the development of modern genetic and genomic tools, marine invertebrate model organisms continue to be at the forefront of evolutionary developmental biology and mechanobiology. Their contribution to these fields not only provides invaluable insights into the fundamental principles of morphogenesis but also offers an ideal comparative framework that allows the exploration of the evolution of mechanical and biological processes across metazoans.</p>","PeriodicalId":39320,"journal":{"name":"Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation","volume":"76 ","pages":"91-116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}