Developmental Biology

E(spl)m4 Directly Antagonizes Traf4 to Inhibit JNK Signaling in Drosophila

1. Katrin Strobel
2. Jennifer Falconi
3. Cédric Leyrat
4. Rémi Logeay
5. Sarah J Bray
6. Alexandre Djiane

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The authors identify the Bearded-type small protein E(spl)m4 as a physical and genetic interactor of TRAF4 in the Drosophila wing disc. These valuable findings with potential biomedical relevance are, however, supported by incomplete evidence based largely on overexpression studies that lack quantification, limited molecular support for their model, and issues with Bearded family protein specificity. The work could be of interest to researchers in the fields of cell signaling and developmental biology.

Reviewed by eLife

Mac-/Lactosylceramide regulates intestinal homeostasis and secretory cell fate commitment by facilitating Notch signaling

1. Kebei Tang
2. Xuewen Li
3. Jiulong Hu
4. Jingyuan Shi
5. Yumei Li
6. Yansu Chen
7. Chang Yin
8. Fengchao Wang
9. Rongwen Xi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study provides convincing evidence that glucosylceramide synthase (GlcT), a rate-limiting enzyme for glycosphingolipid (GSL) production, plays a role in the differentiation of intestinal cells. Mutations in GlcT compromise Notch signaling in the Drosophila intestinal stem cell lineage, resulting in the formation of enteroendocrine tumors. Further data suggest that a homolog of glucosylceramide synthase also influences Notch signaling in the mammalian intestine. While the outstanding strengths of the initial genetic and downstream pathway analyses are noted, there are minor weaknesses in the data regarding the potential role of this pathway in Delta trafficking. Nevertheless, this study opens the way for future mechanistic studies addressing how specific lipids modulate Notch signalling activity.

Reviewed by eLife

Genome-wide association study shows developmental robustness control by intestinal maltase via internal environment in Drosophila

1. Soshiro Kashio
2. Izumi Enoki
3. Yuto Yoshinari
4. Takashi Nishimura
5. Masayuki Miura

Reviewed by Review Commons

Spatial activation of Kinesin-1 by Ensconsin shapes microtubule networks via ncMTOCs recruitment

1. Anne-Marie Berisha
2. Aude Pascal
3. Marine Guelle
4. Clément Bousquet
5. Denis Chrétien
6. Laetitia Bataillé
7. Régis Giet

Reviewed by Review Commons

VANGL2 shapes the mouse heart tube from adjacent epithelia and without planar polarity

1. Paul Palmquist-Gomes
2. Gaëlle Letort
3. Ayushi U. Hegde
4. José María Pérez-Pomares
5. Sigolène M. Meilhac

Reviewed by preLights

The oocyte zinc transporter Slc39a10/Zip10 is a regulator of zinc sparks during fertilization in mice

1. Atsuko Kageyama
2. Narumi Ogonuki
3. Takuya Wakai
4. Takafumi Namiki
5. Yui Kawata
6. Manabu Ozawa
7. Yasuhiro Yamada
8. Toshiyuki Fukada
9. Atsuo Ogura
10. Rafael Fissore
11. Naomi Kashiwazaki
12. Junya Ito

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents significant and novel insights into the roles of zinc in mammalian meiosis/fertilization events. These findings are useful to our understanding of these processes. The evidence presented is solid, with experiments being well-designed, carefully described, and interpreted with appropriate rigor. The authors acknowledge the lack of mechanistic insight which represents the main limitation of the study.

Reviewed by eLife

Bidirectional translocation of actomyosin drives epithelial invagination in ascidian siphon tube morphogenesis

1. Jinghan Qiao
2. Pengyu Yu
3. Hongzhe Peng
4. Wenjie Shi
5. Bo Li
6. Bo Dong

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful study uses a combination of experimental and modeling approaches to investigate the role of actomyosin in epithelial invagination during Ciona siphon tube morphogenesis. Several types of solid quantitative analyses are presented, yet the evidence supporting the central claim of bidirectional translocation of actomyosin remains incomplete. Since epithelial invagination contributes to the morphogenesis of many developing organs, this work has the potential to appeal to both cell biologists and developmental biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Extracellular adenosine deamination primes tip organizer development in Dictyostelium

1. Pavani Hathi
2. Baskar Ramamurthy

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  During the development of the unicellular eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum, cells aggregate into mounds, forming protrusions or tips, which then become the front of migrating slugs and the top of fruiting bodies. This valuable study identifies adenosine deaminase-related growth factor (ADGF) as a key regulator of tip formation and convincingly shows that ADGF catalyses the conversion of adenosine to ammonia, allowing ammonia to initiate tip formation, and then elucidates pathways upstream and downstream of ADGF. The authors discuss the intriguing possibility that mammalian ADGF may also similarly regulate development.

Reviewed by eLife, Arcadia Science

HSD17B7 is required for Auditory Function by Regulating Cholesterol Synthesis in Sensory Hair Cells

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 results do show a reduction in hair cells in the lateral line neuromasts of Hsd17b7 mutant fish, the reduction was limited. The findings are considered incomplete, with additional experiments required to confirm the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

Dissecting Gene Regulatory Networks Governing Human Cortical Cell Fate

1. Jingwen W. Ding
2. Chang N. Kim
3. Megan S. Ostrowski
4. Yashodara Abeykoon
5. Bryan J. Pavlovic
6. Jenelle L. Wallace
7. Tomasz J. Nowakowski
8. Alex A. Pollen

Reviewed by preLights