Developmental Biology

Dendritic atoh1a+ cells serve as Merkel cell precursors during skin development and regeneration

1. Evan W. Craig
2. Erik C. Black
3. Samantha Z. Fernandes
4. Ahlan S. Ferdous
5. Camille E. A. Goo
6. Sheridan M. Sargent
7. Elgene J. A. Quitevis
8. Avery Angell Swearer
9. Nathaniel G. Yee
10. Jimann Shin
11. Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
12. Jeffrey P. Rasmussen

Reviewed by Review Commons

Neuroprotective role of Hippo signaling by microtubule stability control in Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Hanee Lee
2. Junsu Kang
3. Sang-Hee Lee
4. Dowoon Lee
5. Christine H Chung
6. Junho Lee

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In their valuable study, Lee et al. explore a role for the Hippo signaling pathway, specifically wts-1/LATS and the downstream regulator yap, in age-dependent neurodegeneration and microtubule dynamics using C. elegans mechanosensory neurons as a model. The authors demonstrate that disruption of wts-1/LATS leads to age-associated morphological and functional neuronal abnormalities, linked to enhanced microtubule stabilization, and show a genetic connection between yap and microtubule stability. Overall, the study employs robust genetic and molecular approaches to reveal a convincing link between the Hippo pathway, microtubule dynamics, and neurodegeneration.

Reviewed by eLife

A conserved chronobiological complex times C. elegans development

1. Rebecca K. Spangler
2. Kathrin Braun
3. Guinevere E. Ashley
4. Marit van der Does
5. Daniel Wruck
6. Andrea Ramos Coronado
7. James Matthew Ragle
8. Vytautas Iesmantavicius
9. Lucas J. Morales Moya
10. Keya Jonnalagadda
11. Carrie L. Partch
12. Helge Großhans
13. Jordan D. Ward

Reviewed by Review Commons

The epididymis contributes to sperm DNA integrity and early embryo development through Cysteine-Rich Secretory Proteins

1. Valeria Sulzyk
2. Ludmila Curci
3. Lucas N González
4. Abril Rebagliati Cid
5. Mariana Weigel Muñoz
6. Patricia S Cuasnicu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study reports that epididymal proteins are required for embryogenesis after fertilization. The data presented are generally supportive of the conclusion and considered solid. This work will be of interest to reproductive biologists and andrologists.

Reviewed by eLife

A comparative analysis of planarian regeneration specificity reveals tissue polarity contributions of the axial cWnt signalling gradient

1. James P Cleland
2. Hanh T.-K Vu
3. Johanna EM Dickmann
4. Andrei Rozanski
5. Steffen Werner
6. Andrea Schuhmann
7. Anna Shevchenko
8. Jochen C Rink

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study investigates the different mechanisms that provide instructions for a missing body part to regenerate its appropriate identity. The authors use two species of planarians to identify a key role for bodywide canonical Wnt gradients in controlling the outcome of regeneration. The study provides convincing evidence for variable regeneration efficiency among planarian species that will be of interest to developmental biologists interested in regeneration. However, some of the results are over-interpreted and the additional experiments could provide better support for the authors' claims.

Reviewed by eLife

Dual roles of EGO-1 and RRF-1 in regulating germline exo-RNAi efficiency in Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Katsufumi Dejima
2. Keita Yoshida
3. Shohei Mitani

Reviewed by Review Commons

3D reconstruction of neuronal allometry and neuromuscular projections in asexual planarians using expansion tiling light sheet microscopy

1. Jing Lu
2. Hao Xu
3. Dongyue Wang
4. Yanlu Chen
5. Takeshi Inoue
6. Liang Gao
7. Kai Lei

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Lu and colleagues developed an important imaging protocol that combines expansion microscopy, light-sheet microscopy, and image segmentation for use with the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, a powerful model system for regeneration. This represents a substantial improvement on current standards and enables more rapid data acquisition. The utility of this solid protocol is demonstrated by quantifying several aspects of this flatworm's neural anatomy and musculature during homeostasis and regeneration. This work will be of interest to researchers looking to implement more systematic approaches towards imaging and quantifying intact specimens.

Reviewed by eLife

Modularity of the segmentation clock and morphogenesis

1. James E Hammond
2. Ruth E Baker
3. Berta Verd

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable manuscript uses mathematical modeling to address the synchrony of the vertebrate segmentation clock with the developmental processes. The authors use convincing arguments to support the idea that this would allow the evolution of flexible body plans and a variable number of segments. This manuscript could be of interest to developmental biologists and systems biologists.

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

Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

Distinct proliferative and neuronal programmes of chromatin binding and gene activation by ASCL1 are cell cycle stage-specific

1. William F. Beckman
2. Lydia M. Parkinson
3. Lewis Chaytor
4. Anna Philpott

Reviewed by Review Commons

One probe fits all: a highly customizable modular RNA in situ hybridization platform expanding the application of SABER DNA probes

1. Kirill Ustyantsev
2. Mattia Stranges
3. Filippo Giovanni Volpe
4. Stijn Mouton
5. Eugene Berezikov

Reviewed by Review Commons