RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Morphological diversity of blastula formation and gastrulation in temnopleurid sea urchins
Summary: Closely related temnopleurid sea urchins exhibit diversity in blastula formation and gastrulation during early morphogenesis.
- Regulatory effects of electronic beam irradiation on mir-21/smad7-mediated collagen I synthesis in keloid-derived fibroblasts
Summary: Using primary keloid-derived fibroblasts, we demonstrate that electronic beam irradiation inhibits the recurrence of keloid scarring by suppressing collagen I expression via mir-21/smad7-mediated p38 activation.
- Skeletal muscle growth dynamics and the influence of first-feeding diet in Atlantic cod larvae (Gadus morhua L.)
Summary: Hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth dynamics of red and white muscle were strongly related to cod larval size and corresponded with the metamorphosis process. First-feeding diet quality can prolong effects on muscle growth potential in cod larvae.
- Adamts18 deletion results in distinct developmental defects and provides a model for congenital disorders of lens, lung, and female reproductive tract development
Summary: We generated mice deficient for the secreted protease ADAMTS18 implicated in human disease and show that the gene is required in the development of the lens, lung, and the female reproductive tract.
- Lethal lung hypoplasia and vascular defects in mice with conditional Foxf1 overexpression
Summary: Similar to Foxf1 loss, Foxf1 overexpression in mice is lethal. This finding highlights the need to consider alternatives beyond gene therapy to find a cure for alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACDMPV).
- Alternative exon usage creates novel transcript variants of tumor suppressor SHREW-1 gene with differential tissue expression profile
Summary: Transcripts of the tumor suppressor gene SHREW-1 exist in various splice variants in human and mouse encoding proteins with a differential expression and intracellular localization profile.
- Directional cell movements downstream of Gbx2 and Otx2 control the assembly of sensory placodes
Summary: Using spatial and temporally controlled perturbations followed by live cell tracking in vivo, this paper demonstrates that directional movements downstream of Gbx2 and Otx2 are important for otic and lens placode formation.
- Establishment of a novel retinoblastoma (Rb) nude mouse model by intravitreal injection of human Rb Y79 cells – comparison of in vivo analysis versus histological follow up
Summary: We present a novel retinoblastoma nude xenograft mouse model which closely resembles the human disease and allows broad application possibilities and a comparison of in vivo and histological analysis.
- MarvelD3 regulates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway during eye development in Xenopus
Summary: MarvelD3 regulates eye morphogenesis through modulation of the JNK pathway, eye-field specification and the balance between cell proliferation and survival.
- Oviposition preferences for ethanol depend on spatial arrangement and differ dramatically among closely related Drosophila species
Summary: Drosophila species make dramatically different egg-laying decisions depending on ethanol concentration and the distances between options. Surprisingly, we find that the species with the lowest ethanol tolerance prefers ethanol the most.
- Ecdysone signaling induces two phases of cell cycle exit in Drosophila cells
Summary: Pulsed ecdysone signaling remodels cell cycle dynamics, causing distinct primary and secondary cell cycle arrests in Drosophila cells, analogous to those observed in the wing during metamorphosis.
- Eyes shut homolog is required for maintaining the ciliary pocket and survival of photoreceptors in zebrafish
Summary: The extracellular matrix protein Eyes shut homolog is required for maintaining the integrity of the ciliary pocket and survival of photoreceptors in zebrafish.
- A novel mutation in the N-terminal domain of Drosophila BubR1 affects the spindle assembly checkpoint function of BubR1
Summary: We have identified a novel short motif sequence in the Drosophila BubR1 protein which when mutated affects the amount of Cdc20 recruited to the kinetochores and leads to an abrogation of the SAC.
- Heterotypic interactions regulate cell shape and density during color pattern formation in zebrafish
Summary: The conspicuous pigmentation pattern of zebrafish is produced by three kinds of interacting pigment cells. Here we address the cellular consequences of these interactions in wild-type fish and mutants with altered pigment patterns.
- Calcium homeostasis alterations in a mouse model of the Dynamin 2-related centronuclear myopathy
Summary: Dynamin 2 mutations cause centronuclear myopathy via unclear mechanisms. We show in a mouse model that changes in cytosolic calcium via incorrect membrane permeability correlate with muscle weakness.
- Identification of a novel putative interaction partner of the nucleoporin ALADIN
Summary: We report the interaction of the microsomal integral membrane protein progesterone receptor membrane component 2 with the nucleoporin ALADIN at the perinuclear ER and nuclear envelope.
- The impact of FOXO on dopamine and octopamine metabolism in Drosophila under normal and heat stress conditions
Summary: The transcription factor FOXO affects catecholamine metabolism under normal and heat stress conditions in D. melanogaster, and juvenile hormone (JH) is a mediator of this effect.
- Hygienic behaviour in Brazilian stingless bees
Summary: Hygienic behaviour such as the removal of dead and diseased larvae and pupae has an important role in colony health in stingless bees, and it is greater than in unselected honey bee populations
- Effects of Hd2 in the presence of the photoperiod-insensitive functional allele of Hd1 in rice
Summary: We show that photoperiod-insensitive components of alleles of Hd1 and Hd2 play an important role in balancing ecological adaptability and high-yield accumulation in rice.
- Expression of Cucumber mosaic virus suppressor 2b alters FWA methylation and its siRNA accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Summary: CMV suppressor 2b perturbs host defense by interrupting epigenetic signaling. 2b causes FWA siRNAs sequestration and hypo-methylation of FWA promoter region. It shines light on a hitherto little understood mechanism of viral suppression of host epigenetics.
- Environment-dependent prey capture in the Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus)
Summary: A comparison of the kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial feeding in the mudskipper shows how the ancestral kinematic pattern of aquatic feeding is modified to enable the terrestrial capture of prey.
METHODS & TECHNIQUES
- Energy metabolic state in hypothermically stored boar spermatozoa using a revised protocol for efficient ATP extraction
Summary: A revised protocol for efficient extraction of ATP from boar spermatozoa is presented that consistently yields high ATP contents and energy charge values from fresh and frozen samples.
- A portable infrared photoplethysmograph: heartbeat of Mytilus galloprovincialis analyzed by MRI and application to Bathymodiolus septemdierum
Summary: Infrared photoplethysmogram of Mytilus heart was analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging. Portable photoplethysmographs provide a noninvasive, economical and robust method to monitor the heartbeat of mussels in field experiments.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Biology Open and COVID-19
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on researchers worldwide. The Editors of all The Company of Biologists’ journals have been considering ways in which we can alleviate concerns that members of our community may have around publishing activities during this time. Read about the actions we are taking at this time.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Editorial Office if you have any questions or concerns.
Interview – Savant Thakur
Savant Thakur was a Ph.D. student in Professor Gordon S. Lynch’s lab (The University of Melbourne) working towards understanding the mechanisms of defective muscle repair in muscle diseases and wasting disorders. Sadly, Savant passed away on June 16, 2019 and so one of his supervisors, Professor Lynch, spoke to BiO about Savant's work and character.
A day in the life of a returning spider lab
Back in 2016, two PhD students in Alistair McGregor’s lab at Oxford Brookes shared a day in the life of a spider lab on the Node. Four years and one pandemic later, we caught up with Alistair to find out how his lab has responded to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.