Developmental Biology

The co-repressor Groucho limits progression through the early transcription elongation checkpoint in vivo

1. María Lorena Martínez Quiles
2. Barbara H Jennings

Reviewed by Review Commons

Functional Separation of mRNA Domains Coordinates Pluripotent Cell Behavior

1. Ze Yang
2. Shaoyi Ji
3. Kristina Ivanov
4. Priyanka Kadav
5. Mengmeng Song
6. Leonardi Gozali
7. Sophie Parsa
8. Barry Behr
9. Mary A Hynes

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides fundamental insights by demonstrating that the Nanog mRNA coding sequence (CDS) and 3′UTR domains are spatially segregated and functionally distinct in pluripotent stem cells and blastocysts, with 3′UTR-enriched border cells primarily influencing morphogenesis and CDS-enriched inner cells largely regulating transcription and epigenetic programs. The work opens a novel conceptual avenue for understanding how separable mRNA domains can differentially control cell behavior and differentiation. However, the evidence is incomplete, as key aspects of the molecular nature, biogenesis, and precise characterization of the separated 3′UTR and CDS RNA species, as well as causal links between their perturbation and the observed phenotypes (e.g., via rescue and deeper characterization of 3′UTR elements), remain to be fully established.

Reviewed by eLife

The microtubule-binding protein EML3 is required for mammalian embryonic growth and cerebral cortical development; Eml3 null mice are a model of cobblestone brain malformation

1. Isabelle Carrier
2. Eduardo Diez
3. Valerio EC Piscopo
4. Susanne Bechstedt
5. Hans van Bokhoven
6. Myriam Srour
7. Albert Berghuis
8. Stefano Stifani
9. Yojiro Yamanaka
10. Roderick R McInnes

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study is the first characterization of the phenotype caused by a lack of Eml3 expression in mice. Mutant animals present a disrupted pial basement membrane, leading to focal extrusions from the cerebral cortex, called ectopias. The methodology is convincing and the conclusions are solid, although further investigations on the molecular and cellular mechanisms are required to improve the manuscript. This work would be of interest to neural development biologists and human geneticists working on brain disorders.

Reviewed by eLife

Desert Hedgehog mediates stem Leydig cell differentiation through Ptch2/Gli1/Sf1 signaling axis

1. Changle Zhao
2. Yongxun Chen
3. Lei Liu
4. Xiang Liu
5. Hesheng Xiao
6. Feilong Wang
7. Qin Huang
8. Xiangyan Dai
9. Wenjing Tao
10. Deshou Wang
11. Jing Wei

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides valuable contributions to establish canonical Dhh signaling as a primary mediator in the differentiation of Leydig cells and their steroidogenic capacity. Together, the experimental design using their established stem Leydig cell line alongside relevant genetically mutated models, both derived using the relevant Nile tilapia animal system, provided largely convincing evidence to support their conclusions. The work will be of broad interest to developmental biologists interested in differentiation of steroidogenic or hormone producing cells.

  [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

Reviewed by eLife

Single-Cell Characterization of Anterior Segment Development: Cell Types, Pathways, and Signals Driving Formation of the Trabecular Meshwork and Schlemm’s Canal

1. Revathi Balasubramanian
2. Nicholas Tolman
3. Taibo Li
4. Abdul Hannan
5. Violet Bupp-Chickering
6. Karina Polanco
7. Aakriti Bhandari
8. Sally Zhou
9. Marina Simón
10. John Peregrin
11. Christa Montgomery
12. Krishnakumar Kizhatil
13. Jiang Qian
14. Simon WM John

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important work advances our understanding of the development of the visual system. The data presented is compelling and provides a detailed single-cell atlas of post-natal anterior chamber development in mice, highlighting the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal.

Reviewed by eLife

ZNHIT1-dependent H2A.Z deposition at meiotic prophase I underlies pachytene gene expression and meiotic progression during male meiosis

1. Shenfei Sun
2. Yamei Jiang
3. Ning Jiang
4. Qiaoli Zhang
5. Hongjie Pan
6. Fujing Huang
7. Xinna Zhang
8. Yuxuan Guo
9. Xiaoyu You
10. Kai Gong
11. Wei Wei
12. Hanmin Liu
13. Zhenju Song
14. Yuanlin Song
15. Xiaofang Tang
16. Miao Yu
17. Runsheng Li
18. Xinhua Lin

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study shows that Znhit1, a regulator of chromatin and of the histone variant H2A.Z, is required for progression through meiotic prophase. It is an important observation that describes the role of epigenetics and gene expression during meiosis. The analysis is based on complementary approaches at the cytological, single-cell, and genomic levels that provide solid evidence for the role of Znhit1 in the control of gene expression and in the loading of H2A.Z in mouse spermatocytes.

Reviewed by eLife

Dorsal/NF-κB exhibits a dorsal-to-ventral mobility gradient in the Drosophila embryo

1. Hadel Al Asafen
2. Natalie M Clark
3. Etika Goyal
4. Sadia Siddika Dima
5. Hung-Yuan Chen
6. Thomas Jacobsen
7. Rosangela Sozzani
8. Gregory T Reeves

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study provides quantitative data and analysis to reveal that variations in Dorsal (Dl ) nuclear dynamics along the Dorso-ventral axis in the early Drosophila embryo are governed by Dl-Cactus nuclear interactions. The solid evidence partially supports a mechanism where nuclear localized Cactus contributes to the fraction of Dl that binds to DNA, but additional work will be necessary to confirm the claims and the biological significance of these findings.

Reviewed by eLife

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of inner ear morphogenesis in zebrafish

1. Akankshi Munjal
2. Kalki Kukreja
3. Samara Williams
4. Toru Kawanishi
5. Natasha M O’Brown
6. Kana Ishimatsu
7. Allon Klein
8. Sean G Tsung-Megason
9. Ian A Swinburne

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is a valuable study on single-cell transcriptomic analyses, focused on morphogenesis of the zebrafish inner ear in wildtype and lmx1bb mutants. The supporting evidence is mostly convincing, but incomplete in parts.

Reviewed by eLife

Tumors mimic the niche to inhibit neighboring stem cell differentiation

1. Yang Zhang
2. Yuejia Wang
3. Jinqiao Song
4. Lizhong Yan
5. Ziguang Wang
6. Dongze Song
7. Haojun Wang
8. Sining Yang
9. Liyuan Niu
10. Chang Sun
11. Hanning Zhang
12. Yudi Zhao
13. Shaowei Zhao

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides important insights into how tumorous germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila melanogaster ovary can mimic niche function and suppress the differentiation of neighboring cells. The findings that GSC tumors can incorporate non-mutant cells and inhibit their differentiation are compelling and extend current understanding of stem cell-niche interactions. However, the evidence supporting the conclusion that GSC tumors produce BMP ligands to mediate this effect remains incomplete, due to concerns regarding the quality and interpretation of the HCR-FISH data.

Reviewed by eLife

HSD17B7 is required for the function of sensory hair cells by regulating cholesterol synthesis

1. Yuqian Shen
2. Ziyang Wang
3. Xun Wang
4. Fuping Qian
5. Mingjun Zhong
6. Xin Wang
7. Jing Cheng
8. Dong Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides valuable data on the role of Hsd17b7, a gene involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, as a potential regulator of mechanosensory hair cell function. The authors used both zebrafish and the HEI cell line to examine the effects of deletion of Hsd17b7 on hair cell function and survival. While the study presents convincing evidence, the effect sizes observed across several experiments, including functional readouts such as the acoustic startle response, are modest, which raises questions about the biological significance of the proposed mechanism.

Reviewed by eLife