Developmental Biology

eLife assessment

This fundamental study advances our understanding of how Notch signaling activates transcription by analyzing dynamics of the Mastermind transcriptional co-activator and its role in the activation complex. The evidence is compelling and based on state of the art methods with precise quantitative measurements.

eLife assessment

This is a fundamental study into human spinal neurulation, which substantially advances our understanding of human neural tube closure. Crucial unanswered questions in the field currently rely on model systems, not faithful to human development. The evidence provided is convincing, with a large number of specimens and the use of state-of-the-art methodology providing robustness. The work will be of broad interest to developmental biologists, embryologists, and medical professionals working on neural tube defects, and will act as a precious reference resource for future studies.

eLife assessment

This fundamental work substantially advances our understanding of cell migration, especially in that of cranial neural crest. The additional evidence provided to support the conclusion is exceptional, with rigorous biochemical assays for materials used and with intensive genetic interventions. The work will be of broad interest to developmental biologists and cell biologists.

eLife assessment

This paper presents an important discovery of the molecular basis of differential apterous expression during early Drosophila wing disc development. The evidence supporting these conclusions is compelling, ranging from classical genetic approaches to state-of-the-art genetic engineering techniques. By opening new questions, this paper is expected to be of broad interest to developmental biologists and geneticists working on transcriptional regulation.

eLife assessment

This work reports a valuable finding on glucocorticoid signaling in male and female germ cells in mice, pointing out sexual dimorphism in transcriptomic responsiveness. The convincing evidence provided supports an inert GR signaling despite the presence of GR in the female germline and GR-mediated alternative splicing in response to dexamethasone treatment in the male germline. The work may interest basic researchers and physician-scientists working on reproduction and stress-related disease conditions.

eLife assessment

This valuable study addresses the temporal patterning of a specific Drosophila CNS neuroblast lineage, focusing on its larval development. The work is solid: the authors find that a temporal cascade, involving the Imp and Syp genes, changes the fate of one daughter cell/branch from glioblast (GB) to programmed cell death (PCD), as well as gates the decommissioning of the NB at the end of neurogenesis.

eLife assessment

This study transcriptomically profiles the developing zebrafish hindbrain from gastrulation through stages of rhombomere formation. The strength is that the transcriptomic data will be a valuable resource to the field. The paper would profit from a deeper analysis of functional aspects of hindbrain development during its segmentation into rhombomeres.

eLife assessment

This paper explores how Notch activity acts together with homeodomain transcription Bsh factors to establish distinct cell fates (L4 vs L5) in the visual system of Drosophila. The findings are important and have theoretical or practical implications beyond a single subfield. The methods, data, and analyses are compelling and support the claims with only minor weaknesses.

eLife assessment

This fundamental study identifies the homeodomain transcription factor Meis2 as a transcriptional regulator of maturation and end-organ innervation of low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of mice. The authors use histology, behavioral tests, RNA-sequencing, and electrophysiological recordings to provide evidence that conditional deletion of Meis2 in postmitotic DRG neurons causes gene expression changes together with targeting errors and altered sensory neuron responses, ultimately resulting in reduced sensitivity to light touch in mutant animals. The data presented are convincing, the discussion comprehensive, and the conclusions drawn justified.

eLife assessment

This paper, offering insights into the mechanisms of neuronal cell type diversification, provides important findings that have theoretical or practical implications beyond a single subfield. The data are compelling and provide evidence that features methods, data and analyses that are more rigorous than the current state-of-the-art.

eLife assessment

This important study addresses mechanisms of feedback inhibition between planar cell polarity (PCP) protein complexes during convergent extension movements in Xenopus embryos. The authors propose an interesting model, in which non-canonical Wnt ligand stimulates transition of Dishevelled from its complex with Vangl to Frizzled, with essential roles of Vangl, Prickle and Ror in this process. The main functional observations supporting this model are convincing, but the immunoprecipitation data are incomplete and would benefit from additional clarification. With more rigorous approaches, this work will likely be of broad interest to cell and developmental biologists.

eLife assessment

This paper reports fundamental findings that substantially advance our understanding of a major research question - how hybridization events influence gene regulatory programs and how evolutionary pressures have shaped these programs in response to such events. The methods, data, and analyses are solid and broadly support the claims with only minor weaknesses. This convincing work uses appropriate and validated methodology in line with the current state-of-the-art.

eLife assessment

This study presents a useful resource for the gene expression profiles of different cell types in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex of prenatal macaques. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, and revision has clarified some of the cell isolation and cell classification issues flagged by reviewers. This dataset will be of interest to developmental neurobiologists and could potentially be used for future comparative studies on early brain development.

eLife assessment

This study reports the fundamental discovery of a novel structure in the developing gut that acts as a midline barrier between left and right asymmetries. The evidence supporting the dynamics, composition, and function of this novel basement membrane in the chick is in parts solid and in others convincing, but the investigation of its origin and impact on asymmetric organogenesis is not yet conclusive. This careful work is of broad relevance to anyone interested in patterning mechanisms, the importance of the extracellular matrix, and laterality disorders.

eLife assessment

This important study describes a method to decouple the mechanisms supporting pancreatic progenitor self-renewal and expansion from feed-forward mechanisms promoting their differentiation allowing in vitro expansion of hPSC-derived pancreatic progenitors. The strength of evidence is convincing in that the authors use appropriate and validated methodology in line with current state-of-the-art. The work will be of interest to the field of beta cell replacement therapy in diabetes.

eLife assessment

This is an important study that improves gene models for the ferret genome and identifies neural progenitors that are comparable to those found in developing human brains. The data are convincing and clearly presented. Of particular interest to the field, the work identifies enriched expression of FOXJ1 in late truncated radial glia, strongly indicating that towards the end of neurogenesis, these cells likely give rise to ependymal cells. The work is of interest to anyone studying the development of the nervous system, especially colleagues studying the evolution of development.

eLife assessment

This is an important study that addresses a significant question in microbiome research. The authors provide convincing evidence that certain bacterial groups within the fly microbiome have critical functions for host development. Additionally, dietary aspects such as microbial community progression in a natural food source are integrated into their host-microbe interaction analyses.

eLife assessment

The study by Deichsel et al. reports valuable findings that suggest a new, possibly conserved, mechanism by which post-translational modification of a Notch regulator mediates the cellular immune response. However, the claims are only partially supported as the data and analysis are incomplete. The work will be of interest to biologists working on immune cell development or regulation of Notch.

eLife assessment

The study by Deichsel et al. reports valuable findings that suggest a new, possibly conserved, mechanism by which post-translational modification of a Notch regulator mediates the cellular immune response. However, the claims are only partially supported as the data and analysis are incomplete. The work will be of interest to biologists working on immune cell development or regulation of Notch.

eLife assessment

This valuable work explores how transcription factors regulate transcription through cooperative binding to enhancers. Through experiments and modeling, the authors show convincingly that the cooperativity of transcription factor binding regulates transcriptional bursting and the extent of the amount of time that the target promoter remains in an active state.