Developmental biology articles from across Nature Portfolio

The discovery that the skull has two groups of stem cell that produce similar types of descendant cell has big implications for the field of stem-cell research — and casts light on a developmental disorder that affects many children.

The molecular program of human germline commitment remains largely unknown. A new study delineates the multifaceted functions of DMRT1 in human germline development, particularly in the transition from early to late primordial germ cells.

Senescent cells accumulate with age and promote tissue decline. A broad genomic screen reveals that senescent cells can be eliminated from aged mice by interfering with their unique secretory program. Reducing the capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum by inhibiting the YAP–TEAD complex sensitizes senescent cells to apoptosis.

How the neural crest gains its pluripotency-like stem cell potential is unclear. Here, the authors show that the entire post-gastrula ectoderm maintains expression of pluripotency genes, leading to the high stem cell capacity in the neural crest.

Marsupial mammals take much longer to develop than similarly sized placental mammals, though how brain development occurs across these different periods is unclear. Here they show that the neurodevelopmental events of cortical neurogenesis, cell migration and axon extension do not all temporally scale to the same extent.

The enteric nervous system encompasses the gut-intrinsic neuroglial networks that regulate gastrointestinal functions. Based on single-cell analysis, the authors propose a model in which neurogenic differentiation paths branch from a gliogenic trajectory.

Mechanistic studies of receptor action have aided our understanding of developmental processes and facilitated drug development. Here they show that the TNFR-Wengen acts by forming a complex with the FGFR-Breathless, regulating its activity during cell differentiation in the developing respiratory system of Drosophila.

The discovery that the skull has two groups of stem cell that produce similar types of descendant cell has big implications for the field of stem-cell research — and casts light on a developmental disorder that affects many children.

An article in Nature Communications presents a method to provide local mechanical stimulation to organoids using magnetic nanoparticles.

A paper in Science reports a time-resolved multiomic atlas of the human yolk sac, expanding knowledge of this poorly resolved structure in humans.

The molecular program of human germline commitment remains largely unknown. A new study delineates the multifaceted functions of DMRT1 in human germline development, particularly in the transition from early to late primordial germ cells.

Senescent cells accumulate with age and promote tissue decline. A broad genomic screen reveals that senescent cells can be eliminated from aged mice by interfering with their unique secretory program. Reducing the capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum by inhibiting the YAP–TEAD complex sensitizes senescent cells to apoptosis.

An interaction between blood vessels and nerve fibres in the heart contributes to the decline in nerve density in the ageing left ventricle, potentially increasing susceptibility to arrhythmias.