the community site for and by developmental biologists
the community site for and by developmental biologists
Posted by the Node Interviews on August 9th, 2018
The neural crest is a progenitor population with the capacity to contribute to all vertebrate germ layers. The transcription factor and signalling pathway activity underlying this remarkable pluripotency have been well studied, but the role of the epigenetic state is less well understood. A new paper in Development examines the role of histone acetylation in regulating[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on July 23rd, 2018
Parasitic plants are fascinating and agriculturally relevant organisms that rely for their success on the haustorium, a specialised root structure that invades host root vasculature to derive nutrients and water. A recent paper in Development addresses the developmental origins of these crucial structures in the facultative root parasite Phtheirospermum japonicum. We caught up with first author Takanori Wakatake and[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on July 18th, 2018
Asymmetric division is a widespread mechanism for generating cellular diversity during developmental patterning. The stomata of flowering plants are epidermal valves that regulate gas exchange, and provide an accessible system to investigate the mechanisms of asymmetric cell division both within and across species. A paper in the new issue of Development reports an investigation of the molecular control of this[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on July 6th, 2018
Contact inhibition of locomotion is a widespread phenomenon in migrating cells. However, cells often migrate collectively as a sheet, raising the question of how contact inhibition is overcome in these scenarios. A new paper in Development addresses this problem by studying the signals that regulate collective migration in Xenopus leading edge mesendoderm (LEM) cells. We[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on June 12th, 2018
Somites are segmented structures which give rise to numerous tissues in the vertebrate body. It has long been observed that somites scale in size with the overall size of the embryo, both as development proceeds and between individuals of different sizes, but the molecular underpinnings of this process have remained controversial. A new paper in[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on May 25th, 2018
Short CLE peptides regulate a wide variety of processes during plant development. In the developing root, the receptors and co-receptors for CLEs have remained largely unclear, as have the relationships between different CLEs and different (co-)receptors. A new paper in Development addresses this problem by reporting a new receptor kinase involved in CLE signaling. We caught[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on May 22nd, 2018
The vertebrate lymphatic vascular network provides crucial circulatory and immune functions but its developmental origin has been a contentious issue, in particular the question of whether lymphatic endothelial cells have an exclusively venous origin. A new paper in Development addresses this issue in the dermis of the mouse embryo. To find out more about the[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on May 21st, 2018
Intrahepatic bile ducts (IHBDs) are epithelial tubular structures that transport bile from the liver to the intestine, but the molecules and mechanisms controlling IHBD morphogenesis have remained largely unclear. A a recent paper in Development reports an investigation into IHBD development and the role the tumour suppressor and cytoskeletal regulator Merlin plays in the process. We caught[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on April 19th, 2018
The transition to multicellularity in eukaryotes appears to be intimately linked to the transition from isogamy (gametes of the same size) to anisogamy (gametes of distinct sizes), and indeed to oogamy, a form of anisogamy with a large, immotile egg and a motile sperm. Volvocine algae provide a useful and fascinating model to study how[…]
Posted by the Node Interviews on April 9th, 2018
Cell fate commitment relies on both activation of appropriate genes and suppression of inappropriate ones. Polycomb group proteins are known to be crucial epigenetic silencers of developmental genes, but the manner by which they control fate in vivo, and the relative roles of different Polycomb proteins in silencing, have remained unclear. A new paper in Development[…]
