Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Gul Zaib, Kai Jin, Qisheng Zuo, Maham Habib, Yani Zhang, Bichun Li
Summary: This review emphasizes the significance of chicken primordial germ cells in understanding early-stage development and developing more productive and superior species to meet food and pharmaceutical demands. It provides insights into the importance of chicken primordial germ cells and their applications in transgenesis. The propagation of chicken primordial germ cells into embryonic germ cells that contribute to somatic tissues in vitro offers great potential in the field of developmental biology, genetic modification, and infertility treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dominique A. Doyle, Florencia N. Burian, Benjamin Aharoni, Annabelle J. Klinder, Melissa M. Menzel, Gerard Carlo C. Nifras, Ahad L. Shabazz-Henry, Bianca Ulrich Palma, Gisselle A. Hidalgo, Christopher J. Sottolano, Bianca M. Ortega, Matthew G. Niepielko
Summary: mRNA packaging into germ granules is a conserved strategy for posttranscriptional regulation of germline mRNAs. We studied the homotypic clustering of nos and pgc in four Drosophila species and found that clustering is a conserved process that enriches germ granule mRNAs. Natural variations in nos 3ʹ UTR sequence influence clustering, resulting in decreased nos levels and increased defective germ cells. Our findings highlight the impact of evolution on germ granules and provide insight into the diversity and regulation of biomolecular condensates.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Andrew Hammond, Xenia Karlsson, Ioanna Morianou, Kyros Kyrou, Andrea Beaghton, Matthew Gribble, Nace Kranjc, Roberto Galizi, Austin Burt, Andrea Crisanti, Tony Nolan
Summary: Research has shown that alternative germline regulatory sequences can enhance the effectiveness of gene drives and reduce the propensity for resistant mutations, highlighting the importance of nuclease expression regulation in developing robust homing-based gene drives for population suppression.
Article
Cell Biology
Imre Gaspar, Ly Jane Phea, Mark A. McClintock, Simone Heber, Simon L. Bullock, Anne Ephrussi
Summary: Gaspar et al. discovered that the sequential activity of dynein and kinesin-1 motors during the transport of oskar mRNA in Drosophila oocytes is regulated by the competition between two double-stranded RNA-binding proteins, Egl and Staufen, and this process is controlled by dynein-mediated localization of staufen mRNA. Regulating the recruitment and activity of motor proteins is crucial for intracellular transport of cargoes, including RNPs.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Megan M. Colonnetta, Lauren R. Lym, Lillian Wilkins, Gretchen Kappes, Elias A. Castro, Pearl Ryder, Paul Schedl, Dorothy A. Lerit, Girish Deshpande
Summary: Transcriptional quiescence is an evolutionarily conserved trait that distinguishes the embryonic primordial germ cells (PGCs) from somatic cells, with Sex-lethal (Sxl) being a biologically relevant transcriptional target of Gcl. The mutual antagonism between Gcl and Torso ensures controlled release of germ-plasm, highlighting the importance of transcriptional silencing mediated by Gcl. Embryos expressing a degradation-resistant form of Torso in the germline show aberrant spreading of pole plasm RNAs, similar to gcl mutants, indicating a role in the distinction between germline and soma.
Article
Developmental Biology
Danelle Wright, Makoto Kiso, Yumiko Saga
Summary: Our study suggests that the inability of NANOS3 to rescue NANOS2 function is due to poor DND1 recruitment and CNOT1 binding. Conditional double knockout of Nanos2 and Nanos3 led to the rapid loss of germ cells in mice, and experiments revealed that DND1 and NANOS2 binding is dependent on the specific NANOS2 zinc-finger structure. Additionally, murine NANOS3 failed to bind CNOT1, an interactor of NANOS2 at its N-terminal.
Article
Developmental Biology
Cristiana Dondi, Benjamin Bertin, Jean-Philippe Da Ponte, Inga Wojtowicz, Krzysztof Jagla, Guillaume Junion
Summary: The formation of the cardiac tube involves complex morphogenetic processes, including the collective migration of cardiac cells. CAP and MSP300 have been identified as novel actors in this process, playing a crucial role in the correct alignment of cardioblasts for coordinated migration. Their involvement in linking focal adhesion sites to nuclei via the actin cytoskeleton maintains post-mitotic state and correct alignment of cardioblasts.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacqueline Copeland, Kayla Wilson, Marcos Simoes-Costa
Summary: Early embryogenesis requires a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic signals to drive progenitor cells towards different fates. miRNAs modulate signaling pathways and generate spatial complexity through localized RNA interference in vertebrate embryos. Understanding the complex crosstalk between miRNAs, signaling systems, and cell fate decisions is crucial for developmental outcomes and disease research.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Catherine E. Eichler, Hui Li, Michelle E. Grunberg, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Summary: Localization of oskar mRNA to the posterior of the Drosophila oocyte is essential for abdominal patterning and germline development. The late-phase localization of oskar depends on cytoplasmic flows and the sequence and structure of the spliced oskar localization element (SOLE), as well as the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) targeting oskar to founder granules.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Liangjie Liu, Tian Liu, Shaoxuan Wu, Yajuan Li, Huilan Wei, Lijing Zhang, Ya Shu, Yaxin Yang, Qiang Xing, Shi Wang, Lingling Zhang
Summary: This study identified two Nanos genes, PyNanos1 and PyNanos2/3, in the economically important scallop Patinopecten yessoensis. PyNanos1 is a maternal gene expressed in oogonia, oocytes, and spermatogonia, while PyNanos2/3 is specifically expressed in spermatogonia. Both genes may play crucial roles in gametogenesis in scallops, with PyNanos1 potentially involved in the formation of PGCs and PyNanos2/3 participating in the maintenance of PGCs.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Judith Kimble, Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard
Summary: Experimental embryologists in the late 19th century proposed fundamental mechanisms of development, but the molecular basis remained elusive for a long time. By combining developmental biology with genetics, this obstacle was overcome. Fruit flies and nematodes played a pioneering role in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of developmental processes, highlighting the importance of studying these small invertebrate models for understanding animal development and human disease.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melanie Issigonis, Akshada B. Redkar, Tania Rozario, Umair W. Khan, Rosa Mejia-Sanchez, Sylvain W. Lapan, Peter W. Reddien, Phillip A. Newmark
Summary: Research reveals that yolk cells in planarians share similar characteristics with germ cells and that vitellaria have structural similarities to gonads. Knockdown experiments targeting the klf4l gene show its crucial role in maintaining both germ cells and yolk cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiu Sun, Alan Perez-Rathke, Daniel M. Czajkowsky, Zhifeng Shao, Jie Liang
Summary: This study presents a computational method for reconstructing a large 3D-ensemble of single-cell chromatin conformations from population Hi-C data, applied to study embryogenesis in Drosophila. The modeling of chromatin conformations quantifies chromatin heterogeneity and reveals significant changes during embryogenesis. The findings highlight the importance of high-resolution 3D-ensembles of single-cell chromatin conformations for interpreting population Hi-C data and understanding genome organization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cosmo Pieplow, Gary Wessel
Summary: In this study, nine nanos genes were identified and classified into three groups in the green sea urchin. In addition to the known germline Nanos and Nanos3-like genes, several previously undescribed nanos zinc-finger genes were also discovered. These findings provide important insights into germline specification and nanos gene evolution in the green sea urchin.
MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lovisa Oerkenby, Signe Skog, Helen Ekman, Alessandro Gozzo, Unn Kugelberg, Rashmi Ramesh, Srivathsa Magadi, Gianluca Zambanini, Anna Nordin, Claudio Cantu, Daniel Naett, Anita Oest
Summary: Early-life stress can lead to long-term effects on adult health and disease risk, and this study reveals that these effects can be initiated in Drosophila embryos before the main wave of zygotic transcription. The researchers found that a short heat shock in early embryos resulted in changes in maternal miRNA and the expression of certain genes. They propose that maternal miRNAs, retained in response to an early embryonic heat shock, play a role in shaping the establishment of heterochromatin during early development.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Angelica Aguilera-Gomez, Margarita Zacharogianni, Marinke M. van Oorschot, Heide Genau, Rianne Grond, Tineke Veenendaal, Kristina S. Sinsimer, Elisabeth A. Gavis, Christian Behrends, Catherine Rabouille
Article
Cell Biology
Conrad M. Tenenbaum, Mala Misra, Rebecca A. Alizzi, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Cell Biology
Dorothy A. Lerit, Conrad W. Shebelut, Kristen J. Lawlor, Nasser M. Rusan, Elizabeth R. Gavis, Paul Schedl, Girish Deshpande
Article
Cell Biology
Joel V. Tamayo, Takamasa Teramoto, Seema Chatterjee, Traci M. Tanaka Hall, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew G. Niepielko, Whitby V. I. Eagle, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Developmental Biology
Whitby V. I. Eagle, Daniel K. Yeboah-Kordieh, Matthew G. Niepielko, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Biology
Catherine E. Eichler, Anna C. Hakes, Brooke Hull, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatjana Trcek, Tyler E. Douglas, Markus Grosch, Yandong Yin, Whitby V. Eagle, Elizabeth R. Gavis, Hari Shroff, Eli Rothenberg, Ruth Lehmann
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Rebecca A. Alizzi, Derek Xu, Conrad M. Tenenbaum, Wei Wang, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Article
Cell Biology
Caroline A. Doherty, Rocky Diegmiller, Manisha Kapasiawala, Elizabeth R. Gavis, Stanislav Y. Shvartsman
Summary: A bidirectional communication mechanism between oocytes and nurse cells regulates the growth of germline cysts, with Dacapo playing a critical role in this process. This communication establishes a feedback mechanism that regulates the quantity of maternal resources loaded into the oocyte.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Caroline A. Doherty, Farners Amargant, Stanislav Y. Shvartsman, Francesca E. Duncan, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Summary: This article discusses the bidirectional communication between oocytes and support cells, suggesting that it is a universal phenomenon that can be compared across species. By comparing the oogenesis in fruit flies and mice, this study highlights the similarities and differences between these systems, which can inform and design future experiments.
TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Michael Valentino, Bianca M. Ortega, Bianca Ulrich, Dominique A. Doyle, Edward D. Farnum, David A. Joiner, Elizabeth R. Gavis, Matthew G. Niepielko
Summary: The research on mRNA composition in Drosophila germ granules is crucial for germline proliferation and maintenance, but the mechanisms behind it remain unclear. This study established a computational model to simulate granule development, uncovering novel influencing factors and providing a new tool for future research.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hui Li, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Summary: Dendritic arbor development is a complex process regulated by RNA-binding proteins. This study reveals that the Drosophila fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) plays a crucial role in controlling dendrite branching during larval sensory neuron development. FMRP regulates dendrite outgrowth and microtubule stability by modulating the expression of the Drosophila profilin homolog chickadee (chic). The formation of FMRP granules and its association with chic mRNA are dependent on the RNA-binding domain KH2, suggesting a link between FMRP granules and dendritic patterning.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yingshi Peng, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Summary: The study found that Glo regulates the elongation of nos translation by recruiting dFMRP. dFMRP specifically represses translation elongation and promotes ribosome stalling. Additionally, Glo's RNA-binding domains can also function as protein-protein interaction interfaces critical for its regulatory functions.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hui Li, Elizabeth R. Gavis
Summary: MicroRNAs play crucial roles in neuronal dendritic spine development and synaptic plasticity. FMRP, an RNA-binding protein, is associated with microRNA-mediated gene regulation in axonal and dendritic development. This study investigated the role of FMRP and miR-276a in dendritic arbor morphogenesis, revealing their importance in controlling proper dendritic space-filling morphology.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)