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Mittasch et al. show that controlling cytoplasmic flow via focused-light-induced cytoplasmic streaming (FLUCS), a non-invasive technique, can be used to invert asymmetric cell division in Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes.
Ahier et al. describe a method to isolate intact mitochondria from specific cells in Caenorhabditis elegans and show that the germline is more prone to propagating deleterious mitochondrial genomes than somatic lineages.
Kronenberg et al. develop a system to record cell–substrate interactions allowing the measurement of horizontal and vertical forces at high resolution, and demonstrate its use by monitoring podosome protrusion and other cell behaviours.
Turco et al. derive long-term genetically stable organoids from normal endometrium and the decidua that recapitulate characteristics of in vivo uterine glands, respond to hormones and differentiate into secretory and ciliated endometrial cells.
Zernicka-Goetz and colleagues report an in vitro culture system that recapitulates hallmarks of human embryo morphogenesis before gastrulation, including formation of the pro-amniotic cavity and appearance of the prospective yolk sac.
Austen et al. generated talin biosensors to study integrin-based force transduction. They report that extracellular rigidity sensing requires talin’s mechanical engagement and find talin isoform-dependent effects in integrin-mediated mechanosensing.
Pucadyil and colleagues develop an in vitro technique to analyse the conformational dynamics of dynamin during membrane fission events in a real-time, high-throughput manner, using fluorescence microscopy.
Magness and colleagues present a microwell-based culture system to analyse interactions between intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and Paneth cells, and show that their direct contact enhances formation of ISC-derived organoids.
Haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are found in unique bone marrow microenvironments. Silberstein and colleagues use imaging cytometry to quantitatively determine HSPC distribution in femoral bones. They find that HSPCs are in endosteal zones, in close proximity to specialized microvessels, and that they appear in a hypoxic state whether or not they are close to the vasculature.
Three-colour single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization is used by van Oudenaarden and colleagues to show overlapping expression of intestinal stem-cell markers during homeostasis, ageing and regeneration. This approach can help identify putative stem cells in tissues and tumours, and can guide functional studies.
Genome editing mediated by zinc finger nucleases can be used to generate fluorescently labelled proteins that are expressed at endogenous levels from their native genetic loci. Applying this technology to the clathrin light chain A and dynamin-2 loci reveals that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is more regular and efficient than previously thought.