Developmental Biology

Caspar specifies primordial germ cell count and identity in Drosophila melanogaster

1. Subhradip Das
2. Sushmitha Hegde
3. Neel Wagh
4. Jyothish Sudhakaran
5. Adheena Elsa Roy
6. Girish Deshpande
7. Girish S Ratnaparkhi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study investigates the role of Caspar (Casp), an orthologue of human Fas-associated factor-1, in regulating the number of primordial germ cells that form during Drosophila embryogenesis. The findings are important in that they reveal an additional pathway that contributes to germ cell specification and maintenance. The evidence supporting the conclusions is solid, as the authors identify Casp and its binding partner Transitional endoplasmic reticulum 94 (TER94) as factors that influence germ cell numbers.

Reviewed by eLife

The Jag2/Notch1 signaling axis promotes sebaceous gland differentiation and controls progenitor proliferation

1. Syeda Nayab Fatima Abidi
2. Sara Chan
3. Kerstin Seidel
4. Daniel Lafkas
5. Louis Vermeulen
6. Frank Peale
7. Christian W Siebel

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This work aimed at deconstructing how sebaceous gland differentiation is controlled in adult skin. Using monoclonal antibodies designed to inhibit specific Notch ligands or receptors, the authors present convincing evidence that the Jag2/Notch1 signaling axis is a crucial regulator of sebocyte progenitor proliferation and sebocyte differentiation. The valuable findings presented here contribute to the growing evidence that Notch signaling is not only key during the development of the skin and its appendages but also regulates cell fate in adult homeostatic tissues. From a translational perspective, it is intriguing that the effect of Jag2 or Notch1 inhibition, which leads to the accumulation of proliferative stem/progenitor cells in the sebaceous gland and prevents sebocyte differentiation, is reversible.

Reviewed by eLife

Unified bursting strategies in ectopic and endogenous even-skipped expression patterns

1. Augusto Berrocal
2. Nicholas C Lammers
3. Hernan G Garcia
4. Michael B Eisen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript is an important contribution toward understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional bursting. The evidence is considered solid. Questions regarding the broader advance, details of the analysis, and the models used in the analysis were addressed by the authors.

Reviewed by eLife

ARID1A governs the silencing of sex-linked transcription during male meiosis in the mouse

1. Debashish U Menon
2. Prabuddha Chakraborty
3. Noel Murcia
4. Terry Magnuson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study presents a valuable dataset regarding chromatin remodeling by the BAF complex in the context of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Solid data generally support the conclusions, although the partial deletion of the BAF complex in the germline could be considered limiting. This work will be of interest to researchers working on chromatin and reproductive biology.

Reviewed by eLife

Negative cell cycle regulation by calcineurin is necessary for proper beta cell regeneration in zebrafish

1. Laura Massoz
2. David Bergemann
3. Arnaud Lavergne
4. Célia Reynders
5. Caroline Désiront
6. Chiara Goossens
7. Lydie Flasse
8. Bernard Peers
9. Marianne M Voz
10. Isabelle Manfroid

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This work presents some valuable information regarding the molecular mechanisms controlling the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells following induced cell ablation in zebrafish. Specifically, the data suggest that Calcineurin is a regulator of beta cell regeneration. However, the study lacks the critical lineage tracing results to support the conclusion about the origin of the regenerated beta cells and thus is deemed incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

Specialized signaling centers direct cell fate and spatial organization in a limb organoid model

1. Evangelia Skoufa
2. Jixing Zhong
3. Oliver Kahre
4. Kelly Hu
5. Georgios Tsissios
6. Louise Carrau
7. Antonio Herrera
8. Albert Dominguez Mantes
9. Alejandro Castilla-Ibeas
10. Hwanseok Jang
11. Martin Weigert
12. Gioele La Manno
13. Matthias Lutolf
14. Marian Ros
15. Can Aztekin

Reviewed by preLights

Notch-signaling is required for mediating between two pattern forming processes during head regeneration in Hydra polyps

1. Mona Steichele
2. Lara Sauermann
3. Qin Pan
4. Jasmin Moneer
5. Alexandra de la Porte
6. Martin Heß
7. Moritz Mercker
8. Catharina Strube
9. Heinrich Flaswinkel
10. Marcell Jenewein
11. Angelika Böttger

Reviewed by Review Commons

The conserved genetic program of male germ cells uncovers ancient regulators of human spermatogenesis

1. Rion Brattig-Correia
2. Joana M Almeida
3. Margot Julia Wyrwoll
4. Irene Julca
5. Daniel Sobral
6. Chandra Shekhar Misra
7. Sara Di Persio
8. Leonardo Gastón Guilgur
9. Hans-Christian Schuppe
10. Neide Silva
11. Pedro Prudêncio
12. Ana Nóvoa
13. Ana S Leocádio
14. Joana Bom
15. Sandra Laurentino
16. Moises Mallo
17. Sabine Kliesch
18. Marek Mutwil
19. Luis M Rocha
20. Frank Tüttelmann
21. Jörg D Becker
22. Paulo Navarro-Costa

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This fundamental study reports the deep evolutionary conservation of a core genetic program regulating spermatogenesis in flies, mice, and humans. Convincing data were presented and supported the main conclusion. This work will be of interest to evolutionary and reproductive biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Dynamics of transcriptional programs and chromatin accessibility in mouse spermatogonial cells from early postnatal to adult life

1. Irina Lazar-Contes
2. Rodrigo G Arzate-Mejia
3. Deepak K Tanwar
4. Leonard C Steg
5. Kerem Uzel
6. Olivier Ulrich Feudjio
7. Marion Crespo
8. Pierre-Luc Germain
9. Isabelle M Mansuy

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful study reports datasets on gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles of spermatogonia at different postnatal ages in mice. Overall, the technical aspects of the sequencing analyses and computational/bioinformatics are solid. This study may be of interest to biomedical researchers working on male germline stem cells and male fertility.

Reviewed by eLife

Distinct functions of three Wnt proteins control mirror-symmetric organogenesis in the C. elegans gonad

1. Shuhei So
2. Masayo Asakawa
3. Hitoshi Sawa

Reviewed by Review Commons