Developmental Biology

SPLIT HAND/FOOT VARIANTS FAIL TO RESCUE PRDM1A MUTANT CRANIOFACIAL DEFECTS

1. Brittany T. Truong
2. Lomeli C. Shull
3. Ezra Lencer
4. Kristin B. Artinger

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Organ-Founder Stem Cells Mediate Post-Embryonic Neuromast Formation In Medaka

1. Karen Gross
2. Tuğçe Raif
3. Ali Seleit
4. Jasmin Onistschenko
5. Isabel Krämer
6. Lazaro Centanin

Reviewed by Review Commons

Extraocular muscle stem cells exhibit distinct cellular properties associated with non-muscle molecular signatures

1. Daniela Di Girolamo
2. Maria Benavente-Diaz
3. Melania Murolo
4. Alexandre Grimaldi
5. Priscilla Thomas Lopes
6. Brendan Evano
7. Mao Kuriki
8. Stamatia Gioftsidi
9. Vincent Laville
10. Jean-Yves Tinevez
11. Gaëlle Letort
12. Sebastian Mella
13. Shahragim Tajbakhsh
14. Glenda Comai

Reviewed by Review Commons

Rubella virus tropism and single-cell responses in human primary tissue and microglia-containing organoids

1. Galina Popova
2. Hanna Retallack
3. Chang N Kim
4. Albert Wang
5. David Shin
6. Joseph L DeRisi
7. Tomasz Nowakowski

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The manuscript represents an important study on the pathogenesis of rubella virus tropism and neuropathology in human microglia-containing human stem cell derived organoids and human fetal brain slices. The strength of evidence is compelling, employing two different human-relevant models. The findings will be of broad interest to virologists and infectious disease experts, as well as neurodevelopmental biologists. The findings could also be of interest to pediatrics and obstetrics clinical colleagues.

Reviewed by eLife

Multiple repeat regions within mouse DUX recruit chromatin regulators to facilitate an embryonic gene expression program

1. Christina M. Smith
2. Edward J. Grow
3. Sean C. Shadle
4. Bradley R. Cairns

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This useful study provides a systematic mutational analysis to elucidate mechanisms involved in transcriptional activation by the murine DUX protein, DUX is a master transcription factor regulating mammalian early embryonic gene activation and its human homolog DUX4 is also involved in a muscular disease, fascioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD). The data are solid and the interpretations of the findings are reasonable. The work will be of interest to colleagues studying early embryonic development or FSHD.

Reviewed by eLife

Local angiogenic interplay of Vegfc/d and Vegfa controls brain region-specific emergence of fenestrated capillaries

1. Sweta Parab
2. Olivia A Card
3. Qiyu Chen
4. Michelle America
5. Luke D Buck
6. Rachael E Quick
7. William F Horrigan
8. Gil Levkowitz
9. Benoit Vanhollebeke
10. Ryota L Matsuoka

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is a comprehensive approach to understanding the genetic requirements of the VEGF family in the generation of brain capillary structure in zebrafish. The manuscript combines vascular brain/meningeal anatomy revealed with a variety of reporter lines, with mutants for Wnt/β-catenin signaling and angiogenic cues. In particular revealing genetic redundancy in VEGF receptor family in an essential function in vasculature development.

  This paper is significant because it provides compelling evidence that features methods, data, and analyses more rigorous than the current state-of-the-art in analysis of brain vasculature development. The data derived from the reporter lines are convincing, and the germline mutations allow for solid visualization and quantification of results.

Reviewed by eLife

Dedifferentiating germ cells regain stem-cell specific polarity checkpoint prior to niche reentry

1. Muhammed Burak Bener
2. Autumn Twillie
3. Rakshan Chadha
4. Naiya Patel
5. Mayu Inaba

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Specification of distinct cell types in a sensory-adhesive organ for metamorphosis in the Ciona larva

1. Christopher J. Johnson
2. Florian Razy-Krajka
3. Fan Zeng
4. Katarzyna M. Piekarz
5. Shweta Biliya
6. Ute Rothbächer
7. Alberto Stolfi

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

scRNA-sequencing in chick suggests a probabilistic model for cell fate allocation at the neural plate border

1. Alexandre P Thiery
2. Ailin Leticia Buzzi
3. Eva Hamrud
4. Chris Cheshire
5. Nicholas M Luscombe
6. James Briscoe
7. Andrea Streit

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The study of Thiery et al. details the heterogeneous expression of a very large number of genes presumably associated with cell fate decisions in the ectoderm at the neural plate border in early avian embryos. The authors mostly succeed in presenting their very complex strategy of data analysis in a clear way but the work is incomplete with some conceptual weaknesses in how the authors describe and interpret their results. By focusing on one of the earliest cell fate decisions in the ectoderm of a vertebrate embryo, this study will be valuable to a broad range of developmental biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Reciprocal discoidin domain receptor signaling strengthens integrin adhesion to connect adjacent tissues

1. Kieop Park
2. Ranjay Jayadev
3. Sara G Payne
4. Isabel W Kenny-Ganzert
5. Qiuyi Chi
6. Daniel S Costa
7. William Ramos-Lewis
8. Siddharthan B Thendral
9. David R Sherwood

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important paper reveals how cells in adjacent tissues use the extracellular matrix to establish mechanical connections. Through a series of crisp genetic manipulations and quantitative image analyses, the authors provide compelling evidence to show how an essential adhesion between the uterus and the seam cells in the nematode C. elegans is formed. The assembly of type IV collagen triggers internalization of a cell surface receptor, which then signals from endocytic vesicles to strengthen the connection.

Reviewed by eLife