Developmental Biology

Ripply1 and Gsc collectively suppress anterior endoderm differentiation from prechordal plate progenitors

1. Tao Cheng
2. Xiang Liu
3. Yang Dong
4. Yi-Meng Tian
5. Yan-Yi Xing
6. Chen-Yi Chen
7. Cong Liu
8. Yun-Fei Li
9. Ying Huang
10. Ding-Hao Zhuo
11. Xiao Xu
12. Jing-Yun Luan
13. Xin-Xin Fu
14. Zi-Xin Jin
15. Jing Mo
16. Xiang Xu
17. Hong-Qing Liang
18. Peng-Fei Xu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides a useful analysis of the changes in chromatin organization and gene expression that occur during the differentiation of two cell types (anterior endoderm and prechordal plate) from a common progenitor in zebrafish, together with investigations into the molecular factors involved. Although the findings are consistent with previous work, the evidence presented appears to be incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous quantification of live imaging and Cre-Lox experiments, a stronger rationale and controls for experiments manipulating chromatin remodeling factors, and a strong justification for the explant model especially given differences between explant and whole embryo data. This work may be of interest to zebrafish developmental biologists investigating the mechanisms underlying specification.

Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

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 could benefit from a more rigorous dissection of current literature on this pathway that might better inform 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

An actomyosin-mediated mechanical mechanism for brain neural tube elevation

1. Juana De La O
2. Chidera Okeke
3. Gabriel L. Galea
4. Adam C. Martin

Reviewed by Review Commons

Nrf2 promotes thyroid development and hormone synthesis

1. Gillotay Pierre
2. Romitti Mirian
3. Dassy Benjamin
4. Haerlingen Benoit
5. Parakkal Shankar Meghna
6. Faria Fonseca Barbara
7. Ziros G. Panos
8. Pal Singh Sumeet
9. Sykiotis P. Gerasimos
10. Costagliola Sabine

Reviewed by Review Commons

Tug-of-war between cortical and cytoplasmic forces shaping planar 4-cell stage embryos

1. Silvia Caballero-Mancebo
2. Daniel Gonzalez Suarez
3. Janet Chenevert
4. Sameh Ben-Aicha
5. Lydia Besnardeau
6. Alex McDougall
7. Rémi Dumollard

Reviewed by preLights

Trpv4 links environmental temperature to testicular differentiation in hermaphroditic ricefield eel

1. Yang Zhi
2. Luo Tingting
3. Zhang Yimin
4. Sun Yuhua

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents useful findings on the molecular mechanisms driving female-to-male sex reversal in the ricefield eel (Monopterus albus) during aging, which would be of interest to biologists studying sex determination. The manuscript describes an interesting mechanism potentially underlying sex differentiation in M. albus. However, the current data are incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous experimental approaches.

Reviewed by eLife

FuChi: A cell cycle biosensor for investigating cell-cycle kinetics during avian development

1. Zoe R. Sudderick
2. Tiernan Briggs
3. Shirooza Mubarak
4. Melinda Van Kerckvoorde
5. Ana R. Hernandez-Rodriguez
6. Sudeepta K. Panda
7. Jon Riddell;
8. Cameron Batho-Samblas
9. Lorna Taylor
10. Lynn McTeir
11. Dominique Meunier
12. Amy Findlay
13. Flossie Roberts
14. Anna Raper
15. Asako Sakaue-Sawano
16. Atsushi Miyawaki
17. Joe Rainger
18. Jeffrey J. Schoenebeck
19. Cornelis J. Weijer
20. Mike J. McGrew
21. Denis J. Headon
22. Megan G. Davey
23. Richard L. Mort
24. James D. Glover

Reviewed by Review Commons

Trehalose metabolism regulates transcriptional control of muscle development in lepidopteran insects

1. Sharada Mohite
2. Tanaji Devkate
3. Prashant Kalaskar
4. Prashant Singh
5. Abhishek Subramanian
6. Rakesh Shamsunder Joshi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful study examines whether the sugar trehalose, coordinates energy supply with the gene programs that build muscle in the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). The evidence for this currently is incomplete. The central claim - that trehalose specifically regulates an E2F/Dp-driven myogenic program - is not supported by the specificity of the data: perturbations and sequencing are systemic, alternative explanations such as general energy or amino-acid scarcity remain plausible, and mechanistic anchors are also limited. The work will interest researchers in insect metabolism and development; focused, tissue-resolved measurements together with stronger mechanistic controls would substantially strengthen the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

PRMT1-SFPQ regulates intron retention to control matrix gene expression during craniofacial development

1. Julia Raulino Lima
2. Nicha Ungvijanpunya
3. Qing Chen
4. Hoang Quoc Hai Pham
5. Tal Rosen
6. Greg Park
7. Mohammadreza Vatankhah
8. Steven Yen
9. Yang Chai
10. Amy E Merrill
11. Zhaoyang Liu
12. Jian-Fu Chen
13. Yanzhong Yang
14. Weiqun Peng
15. Jian Xu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important work establishes a connection between PRMT1 and SFPQ by identifying common phenotypes downstream of their inactivation. In the resubmission, authors now include NMD as a contributor to aberrant gene expression underpinning craniofacial development. The complementary experiments help strengthen some solid conclusions. This paper describes an interesting mechanism for the regulation of RNA levels, which is of interest to the readers of eLife.

Reviewed by eLife

Paternal over- and under-nutrition program fetal and placental development in a sex-specific manner in mice

1. Hannah L Morgan
2. Nader Eid
3. Nadine Holmes
4. Matthew Carlile
5. Sonal Henson
6. Fei Sang
7. Victoria Wright
8. Marcos Castellanos-Uribe
9. Iqbal Khan
10. Nazia Nazar
11. Sean T May
12. Rod T Mitchell
13. Federica Lopes
14. Robert S Robinson
15. Antonio Augusto Coppi
16. Vipul Batra
17. Adam J Watkins

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study demonstrates that paternal diet influences not only testicular morphology but also placental and fetal development, supporting a role for paternal contributions to offspring health. The authors combine transcriptomic and histological analyses across multiple tissues, and the evidence supporting the central conclusions is convincing. While aspects of the paternal gut phenotype remain largely descriptive, and the paternal and fetoplacental findings are discussed separately, clearer integration of these elements and additional methodological clarification would strengthen interpretation.

Reviewed by eLife