Recent knowledge about metamorphosis and adult organ formation of ascidians is reviewed, in order to elucidate the molecular similarities with those in vertebrates.
WIREs Developmental Biology
Serotonin Neuron Development: Shaping Molecular and Structural Identities
Serotonin neurons are highly plastic; their development, maturation and regeneration is controlled by a complex gene regulatory network in constant interaction with the environment. An overview article recently published in WIREs Developmental Biology offers an updated view of these fundamental developmental mechanisms, pointing to the many ways by which developmental dysfunction of serotonin systems might occur at different periods in life. This opens new possibilities for therapeutic intervention, which can range from prevention of risk to stem cell therapies.
Limbal Stem Cells for Treatment of Corneal Blindness
Limbal stem cells have attracted a lot of interest in the field of regenerative medicine because of their unique ability to fully restore the whole cornea upon transplantation. Several important aspects of limbal stem cell biology are reviewed such as limbal stem cell identification, developmental origin and therapeutic potential.
Hearing Crosstalk: The Molecular Conversation Orchestrating Inner Ear Dorsoventral Patterning
Schoenwolf et al. focus on the crosstalk that occurs among three families of secreted proteins to progressively polarize and pattern the developing otocyst dorsoventrally.
Regulation of Germ Cell Development by Intercellular Signaling in the Mammalian Ovarian Follicle
Unlike all other cells in the body, which age and eventually die, a female’s oocytes can give rise to a new individual. Oocytes have, in a sense, achieved immortality. In order to reach this exalted state, each oocyte undergoes a complex program of differentiation within the ovary before it is ovulated and fertilized.
Mimicry in Butterflies: The Muse, the Palette and the Artist
A caterpillar prepares for its legendary transformation from a pupa into a colorful butterfly. Through this metamorphosis, a bag of developmental genetic tricks lays down bright color patterns that help the butterfly attract its mates and warn or fool its predators.
Charting the Genotype-Phenotype Map: Lessons From the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel
An advanced review recently published in WIREs Developmental Biology summarizes insights about the genetic basis of variation of quantitative traits from the many GWA analyses of morphological, behavioral, life history and other traits that have been published to date using the DGRP and populations derived from it.
RNA on the Brain: Emerging Layers of Post-Transcriptional Regulation in Cortical Development
A new review by Lennox et al discuss recent advances in our understanding of post-transcriptional regulation during embryonic cerebral cortex development.
Segmental Arithmetic: Summing Up the Hox Gene Regulatory Network for Hindbrain Development in Chordates
It is important to understand when and how the hindbrain segmentation program evolved. Recent studies have shed some light.
Understanding Embryonic Development
In an advanced review published in WIREs Developmental Biology, Jonathan Chubb illuminates the perspective of single cell decision-making during development.
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