Developmental Biology

Precise temporal control of neuroblast migration through combined regulation and feedback of a Wnt receptor

1. Erik S Schild
2. Shivam Gupta
3. Clément Dubois
4. Euclides E Fernandes Póvoa
5. Marie-Anne Félix
6. Andrew Mugler
7. Hendrik C Korswagen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This paper deals with an important unsolved problem in developmental biology of how cells execute their dynamics at the right time. The study combines compelling quantitative single cell and single transcript experiments with genetic perturbations and computational modelling and provides important insights into how the timing of transcription is regulated. The work would be strengthened by better integration of modeling and data.

Reviewed by eLife

The myocardium utilizes a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (Pdgfra)–phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling cascade to steer toward the midline during zebrafish heart tube formation

1. Rabina Shrestha
2. Tess McCann
3. Harini Saravanan
4. Jaret Lieberth
5. Prashanna Koirala
6. Joshua Bloomekatz

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is a valuable study that shows the involvement of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling downstream of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha in latero-medial migration of cardiomyocytes during the formation of the early heart tube during zebrafish development. The authors provide convincing evidence using multiple drugs and expression of a dominant negative PI3K subunit, to inhibit the pathway, approaches that show the strong alignment of phenotypes, and which are quantified using live imaging. The demonstration of cardiomyocyte protrusions biased in the direction of migration, and randomised after PI3K inhibition, is a promising area for future exploration.

Reviewed by eLife

A mechanical transition from tension to buckling underlies the jigsaw puzzle shape morphogenesis of histoblasts in the Drosophila epidermis

1. Annafrancesca Rigato
2. Huicheng Meng
3. Claire Chardes
4. Adam Runions
5. Faris Abouakil
6. Richard S. Smith
7. Loïc LeGoff

Reviewed by Review Commons

linc-mipep and linc-wrb encode micropeptides that regulate chromatin accessibility in vertebrate-specific neural cells

1. Valerie A Tornini
2. Liyun Miao
3. Ho-Joon Lee
4. Timothy Gerson
5. Sarah E Dube
6. Valeria Schmidt
7. François Kroll
8. Yin Tang
9. Katherine Du
10. Manik Kuchroo
11. Charles E Vejnar
12. Ariel Alejandro Bazzini
13. Smita Krishnaswamy
14. Jason Rihel
15. Antonio J Giraldez

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This paper will be of interest to scientists involved in understanding the function of long non-coding RNAs. The authors found two genes previously reported as lincRNAs in early studies encode micropeptides in zebrafish. Zebrafish mutants lacking these micro-peptides show altered gene regulatory networks that preferentially affect oligodendrocytes and cerebellar cells in the embryonic brain. The data presented in the study are solid and present convincing additional evidence for the versatile functions of micro-peptides.

Reviewed by eLife

A ratchet-like apical constriction drives cell ingression during the mouse gastrulation EMT

1. Alexandre Francou
2. Kathryn V Anderson
3. Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study employs live imaging to investigate the movement of mesodermal cells in early mouse embryos. By examining the dynamics of cell behavior in normal and mutant embryos, the authors propose that apical constriction of cells results from pulsed contraction guided by crumbs2 signals. The paper presents beautiful images and adds to the molecular understanding of cell migration during early development.

Reviewed by eLife

Patterning precision under non-linear morphogen decay and molecular noise

1. Jan Andreas Adelmann
2. Roman Vetter
3. Dagmar Iber

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The authors use analytic calculations and numerical simulations to convincingly show that the purported benefits of nonlinear decay in morphogen gradients may be marginal in some cases and completely reversed in others (far from the concentration source). This is a valuable contribution to the field, as it questions common assumptions about the biological function of non-linear morphogen decays during development.

Reviewed by eLife

Shear and hydrostatic stress regulate fetal heart valve remodeling through YAP-mediated mechanotransduction

1. Mingkun Wang
2. Belle Yanyu Lin
3. Shuofei Sun
4. Charles Dai
5. Feifei Long
6. Jonathan T Butcher

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Determination of the biomechanical forces and downstream pathways that direct heart valve morphogenesis is an important area of research. In the current study, potential functions of localized Yap signaling in cardiac valve morphogenesis were examined. However, the evidence for Yap pathway activation and localization relative to areas of the valve subject to different mechanical stresses is not convincing.

Reviewed by eLife

Context-dependent requirement of G protein coupling for Latrophilin-2 in target selection of hippocampal axons

1. Daniel T Pederick
2. Nicole A Perry-Hauser
3. Huyan Meng
4. Zhigang He
5. Jonathan A Javitch
6. Liqun Luo

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is an intriguing study investigating the molecular mechanisms of neural circuit developmental organization. Using a defined hippocampal circuit, the authors find that ectopic expression of an adhesion G protein-receptor leads to axon mistargeting. This work defines new mechanisms of axon target specificity.

Reviewed by eLife

Hippo signaling impairs alveolar epithelial regeneration in pulmonary fibrosis

1. Rachel Warren
2. Handeng Lyu
3. Kylie Klinkhammer
4. Stijn P De Langhe

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is an interesting and potentially significant study that adds important new information to our understanding of the mechanisms of lung epithelial repair after tissue injury. The authors have delineated a novel and non redundant role for the hippo pathway and the down stream regulators Yap/Taz in regulating repair of lung injury. These studies will inform future investigations into the mechanisms of repair of lung injury

Reviewed by eLife

Haploinsufficiency of the essential gene Rps12 causes defects in erythropoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell maintenance

1. Virginia Folgado-Marco
2. Kristina Ames
3. Jacky Chuen
4. Kira Gritsman
5. Nicholas E Baker

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study will be of interest to scientists within the field of hematopoiesis and ribosome biology. The paper provides evidence that haploinsufficiency of the mouse ribosomal protein gene Rps12 results in a number of phenotypes including defects in the production of specific blood cells and loss of hematopoietic stem cell quiescence. This work adds to the growing body of evidence that specific cell populations are particularly sensitive to disruption of mRNA translation machinery.

Reviewed by eLife