Developmental biology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article |

    Maternal molecular resources are invested in an egg so that different parts of the future embryo are specified and scaled in proportion to its size. Here the authors develop and experimentally test a model that evaluates the origins and limits of Bicoid morphogenetic gradient scaling in the fruit fly embryo.

    • Feng He
    • , Chuanxian Wei
    •  & Jun Ma

  • Article |

    Pruning of newly formed blood vessels is an important and yet poorly understood aspect of angiogenesis. Here the authors show that endothelial phosphotyrosine-dependent EphrinB2 signalling represses JNK3 function via STAT1, and identify JNK3 as an effector of endothelial cell death and vessel pruning in mice.

    • Ombretta Salvucci
    • , Hidetaka Ohnuki
    •  & Giovanna Tosato

  • Article |

    The neocortex is a mammalian-specific structure that is responsible for higher functions but details of how it evolved are lacking. Here the authors show that the transposable element family MER130 is highly enriched among the enhancers in the developing mouse neocortex, suggesting a role in the evolution of this structure.

    • James H. Notwell
    • , Tisha Chung
    •  & Gill Bejerano

  • Article |

    Applications of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for disease modelling or cell therapy are hindered by low efficiency and heterogeneity of target cell types differentiated from hPSCs, such as motor neurons (MNs). Here the authors develop a method to derive highly pure motor neuron progenitor populations from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells that yield functional MNs.

    • Zhong-Wei Du
    • , Hong Chen
    •  & Su-Chun Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In asymmetrically dividing cells, both spindle-dependent and spindle-independent cleavage furrow positioning pathways are involved in cytokinesis. Here the authors find that Survivin and the mitotic spindle are required to stabilize the position of the cleavage furrow and to complete cytokinesis in Drosophilaneuroblasts.

    • Michaela Roth
    • , Chantal Roubinet
    •  & Clemens Cabernard

  • Article |

    The lipid kinase PI3KC2α is essential for embryogenesis, yet its role in adult homeostasis is unknown. Here, the authors show that PI3KC2α regulates the structure of the internal membrane reserves of murine megakaryocytes and platelets, affecting the platelets’ adhesiveness and prothrombotic function.

    • Jessica K. Mountford
    • , Claire Petitjean
    •  & Shaun P. Jackson

  • Article |

    In embryonic stem cells, extracellular signals are required to derepress developmental promoters to drive lineage specification, but the proteins involved in this process remain unknown. Here the authors show that the protein HEB directly associates with the Polycomb repressive complex 2 at genes involved in mesoderm and endoderm specification.

    • Se-Jin Yoon
    • , Joseph W. Foley
    •  & Julie C. Baker

  • Article |

    In many plants, male meiosis involves two rounds of chromosome separation without cell division, resulting in two spindles in a single cell. Here Brownfield et al. show that an organelle band acts as a physical barrier between the spindles to ensure accurate chromosome segregation.

    • Lynette Brownfield
    • , Jun Yi
    •  & Claudia Köhler

  • Article |

    The role of integrin β1 in angiogenesis is poorly understood. Here, the authors show that integrin β1 regulates murine angiogenesis and adherens junction integrity by controlling VE-cadherin localization, myosin light chain phosphorylation and the function of the Rap1/MRCK and Rho/Rho-kinase pathways.

    • Hiroyuki Yamamoto
    • , Manuel Ehling
    •  & Ralf H. Adams

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Autism genes converge in midfetal cortical co-expression networks, and chromatin regulators such as CHD8 are increasingly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here the authors map CHD8 targets in developing brain, and find that CHD8 directly regulates other ASD risk genes during human neurodevelopment.

    • Justin Cotney
    • , Rebecca A. Muhle
    •  & James P. Noonan

  • Article |

    The epigenetic factor Bmi1 regulates self-renewal of many adult stem cells, but its role in heart function is unknown. Here the authors show that Bmi1 prevents cardiac senescence by inhibiting the tumor suppressor protein p16INK4ain adult mice, protecting them from dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

    • I. Gonzalez-Valdes
    • , I. Hidalgo
    •  & S. Gonzalez

  • Article |

    Mutations in the CCM3 gene in humans lead to severe forms of cerebral cavernous malformation. Here, Lant et al. shed light on the mechanism of CCM-3 function in C. elegans, and show that CCM-3 ablation leads to defects in excretory canal extension and the formation of cysts reminiscent of human malformations.

    • Benjamin Lant
    • , Bin Yu
    •  & W Brent Derry

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reproduction in mammals is dependent on the function of specific neurons that secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and project their axons to the median eminence (ME) of the hypothalamus. Here the authors show that Semaphorin7A signaling plays a role in mediating the plasticity of GnRH axon terminals and tanycytes in the ME.

    • Jyoti Parkash
    • , Andrea Messina
    •  & Paolo Giacobini

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cells grown on a stiff substrate are stimulated through physical cues to spread, create actin stress fibres and proliferate. Here Cui et al. show that cyclic stretching cells on a soft pillar substrate has the same effect as growth on a stiff substrate, and results in nuclear translocation of YAP and MRTF-A.

    • Yidan Cui
    • , Feroz M. Hameed
    •  & Michael Sheetz

  • Article |

    DNA methylation undergoes dynamic changes during development and cell differentiation. Here, by comparing DNA methylomes from different stages of embryonic development of the zebrafish, the authors suggest that developmental enhancers are a major target of DNA methylation changes during embryogenesis.

    • Hyung Joo Lee
    • , Rebecca F. Lowdon
    •  & Ting Wang

  • Article |

    The ciliary margin of the eye functions as a source of multipotent progenitor cells in certain organisms but whether it plays this role in humans has not been easy to study. Here the authors culture human embryonic stem cells that self-organize into retinal tissue, and show that ciliary margin-like growth zones emerge from the developing human retinal tissue and contain stem cell niches.

    • Atsushi Kuwahara
    • , Chikafumi Ozone
    •  & Yoshiki Sasai

  • Article |

    The Hippo pathway plays a role in regulating organ size and stem cell renewal but the regulatory mechanisms that fine-tune this pathway are not well understood. Here the authors report on the role of NEDD4 as a negative regulator of the Hippo signalling components, WW45 and LATS kinase, and in controlling cell proliferation and intestinal stem cell homeostasis.

    • Sung Jun Bae
    • , Myungjin Kim
    •  & Jae Hong Seol

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Epigenetic changes associated with post-natal differentiation have been characterized. Here the authors generate epigenomic and transcriptional profiles from primary human breast cells, providing insights into the transcriptional and epigenetic events that define post-natal cell differentiation in vivo.

    • Philippe Gascard
    • , Misha Bilenky
    •  & Martin Hirst

  • Article |

    Mice can be generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) but the impact of accumulated mutations on the developmental potential of the cells remains to be determined. Here the authors show that mice generated from iPSCs tolerate the accumulation of somatic mutations for up to six generations, but their viability decreased with increasing generations.

    • Shuai Gao
    • , Caihong Zheng
    •  & Shaorong Gao

  • Article |

    The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p18 and p27 confer advantage to the propagation of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In this manuscript, the authors demonstrate that p18 is a potent negative regulator of HSC self-renewal, and identify novel small molecules putatively inhibiting p18 that promote HSC growth in culture and mouse transplant assays.

    • Yingdai Gao
    • , Peng Yang
    •  & Xiang-Qun Xie

  • Article |

    Haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) transform from aortic endothelium into migratory cells that move through stroma and enter circulation to colonize haematopoietic tissues. Here the authors show that HSPCs' passage is facilitated by primitive macrophages that secrete extracellular matrix-degrading enzymes.

    • Jana Travnickova
    • , Vanessa Tran Chau
    •  & Karima Kissa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Improving the efficiency of reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells is of major interest. Here, the authors combine ascorbic acid and 2i (MAP kinase and GSK inhibitors) conditions and show increased efficiency and synchronicity in the reprogramming of fibroblasts and partially reprogrammed cells, and study epigenetic effectors and signalling pathways responsible for this effect.

    • Khoa A. Tran
    • , Steven A. Jackson
    •  & Rupa Sridharan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sperm from aging males may decline in quality, but it is unclear how aging affects the ability of males to produce successful offspring. Here, the authors show that paternal aging of captive long-lived houbara bustards reduces both the likelihood that eggs hatch and the rate at which chicks grow.

    • Brian T. Preston
    • , Michel Saint Jalme
    •  & Gabriele Sorci

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The quiescent centre controls stem cell differentiation at the root apical meristem. Here Zhang et al. propose that ROW1 maintains meristem cell identity by repressing expression of the WOX5transcription factor in the proximal meristem zone, thus confining its activity to the quiescent centre.

    • Yuzhou Zhang
    • , Yue Jiao
    •  & Yu-Xian Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Meiotic maturation of oocytes and early development of mammalian embryos is largely dependent on the translation of mRNAs stored in the oocyte. Here the authors uncover a population of mRNA retained in the oocyte nucleus whose translation is spatially and temporally regulated by the mTOR–eIF4F pathway during meiosis.

    • Andrej Susor
    • , Denisa Jansova
    •  & Michal Kubelka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reprogramming of mouse somatic cells into iPSCs often generates pre-iPSCs, low-grade iPSCs that show abnormal Dlk1-Dio3 imprinting, and fully reprogrammed, high-grade iPSCs. Here, the authors show that germ-cell marker Dppa3 enhances reprogramming kinetics, critical for the maintenance of Dlk1-Dio3 imprinting and generation of fully reprogrammed iPSCs.

    • Xingbo Xu
    • , Lukasz Smorag
    •  & D. V. Krishna Pantakani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations in GPR56, a member of the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor family, cause a specific human brain malformation and myelination defects but the cellular causes remain unclear. Here the authors show that loss of Gpr56in mice leads to decreased oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation and diminished levels of active RhoA.

    • Stefanie Giera
    • , Yiyu Deng
    •  & Xianhua Piao

  • Article |

    The adhesion class of G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) is essential for peripheral nervous system myelination, but functions in central nervous system myelination are less understood. Here the authors show that the aGPCR Gpr56 plays a role in the development of myelinating oligodendrocytes and that this function is mediated by Gα12/13 proteins and Rho activation.

    • Sarah D. Ackerman
    • , Cynthia Garcia
    •  & Kelly R. Monk

  • Article |

    The Notch signalling pathway has important roles in embryonic development. Here the authors show that an evolutionarily conserved gene, mab21-l3, is inhibited by Notch signalling and regulates specification of developing multiciliate cells and ion-transporting ionocytes in frog embryos.

    • Chika Takahashi
    • , Morioh Kusakabe
    •  & Eisuke Nishida

  • Article |

    Asymmetric spindle positioning in female mouse meiosis depends on the assembly of actin networks. Here, Chaigne et al. show by theoretical modelling and artificial manipulation of the oocyte cortex that a narrow stiffness regime is required to correctly position the spindle during meiosis I in the mouse oocyte.

    • A. Chaigne
    • , C. Campillo
    •  & M. E. Terret

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Apelin expression is robust in embryonic but not in adult endothelial cells (ECs), where it can be reactivated by hypoxia. Liu et al. show that apelin-driven expression of Cre recombinase in mice can be used for labelling of, or gene ablation in, sprouting but not quiescent ECs in pathologies characterized by hypoxia.

    • Qiaozhen Liu
    • , Tianyuan Hu
    •  & Bin Zhou

  • Article |

    The Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a core effector of the Hippo pathway, which regulates proliferation and apoptosis in organ development, but its function in adult skeletal muscle remains poorly defined. Here the authors show that YAP is an essential regulator of myofibre size in adult skeletal muscle, via interaction with TEAD transcription factors.

    • K. I. Watt
    • , B. J. Turner
    •  & P. Gregorevic

  • Article |

    Distribution of Wnt morphogens in tissues is often graded, but it is unclear how these secreted factors move to form concentration gradients. Here, the authors show that Wnt8a is transported on actin-based filopodia, known also as cytonemes, that contact the signal-receiving cells during zebrafish gastrulation.

    • Eliana Stanganello
    • , Anja I. H. Hagemann
    •  & Steffen Scholpp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The bilaterian central nervous system is thought to have evolved from a cnidarian-like ancestor, but the mechanisms of neural induction in cnidarians are largely unknown. Here the authors study the cnidarian Nematostella vectensisand show that β-catenin signalling is crucial for the early induction of its embryonic nervous system, suggesting evolutionary roots for this pathway.

    • Hiroshi Watanabe
    • , Anne Kuhn
    •  & Thomas W. Holstein

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Following fertilization, the oocyte and sperm lose their distinct chromatin signature to form a functional embryonic genome. Here the authors find that, in human embryos, the paternal constitutive heterochromatin is inherited in the canonical configuration from the sperm and is propagated by the H3K9/HP1 pathway.

    • Christine van de Werken
    • , Godfried W. van der Heijden
    •  & Esther B. Baart

  • Article |

    BMP signalling is important in early post-implantation embryonic development. Here the authors perform mRNA sequencing of inside and outside cells of pre-implantation mouse embryos and show that BMP signalling is critical for the development of the two extra-embryonic lineages at this early stage.

    • Sarah J. L. Graham
    • , Krzysztof B. Wicher
    •  & Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sprouting of new blood vessels depends on the migration of endothelial tip cells into surrounding tissue. Here the authors reveal the existence of a distinct migratory signalling circuit that guides endothelial cells from developing veins to the leading tip position in developing arteries.

    • Cong Xu
    • , Sana S. Hasan
    •  & Arndt F. Siekmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The adult gastro-intestinal tract harbours stem cells that differ in their differentiation programme and in the gene repertoire that they express. Here the authors show that single adult Lgr5-positive stem cells require Cdx2 to maintain their intestinal identity and are converted into pyloric stem cells in the absence of this transcription factor.

    • Salvatore Simmini
    • , Monika Bialecka
    •  & Jacqueline Deschamps

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spartan/DVC1 is a translesion synthesis regulator with important roles in cellular DNA damage tolerance. Here, the authors report that Spartan is essential for DNA lesion bypass and that Spartan insufficiency in mice causes chromosomal instability, cellular senescence and early onset of age-related phenotypes.

    • Reeja S. Maskey
    • , Myoung Shin Kim
    •  & Yuichi J. Machida

  • Article |

    Somatic cell reprogramming can induce distinct pluripotent states. Here the authors perform time-resolved small RNA expression profiling during the reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts and observe that distinct miRNA milieus characterise alternate states of pluripotency.

    • Jennifer L. Clancy
    • , Hardip R. Patel
    •  & Thomas Preiss

  • Article |

    During somatic cell reprogramming, the cell transits through intermediate states. Here, the authors perform an in-depth quantitative proteomic analysis of the reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells and observe two waves of proteome reorganisation.

    • Marco Benevento
    • , Peter D. Tonge
    •  & Albert J. R. Heck

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