Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Hans-Martin Pogoda, Iris Riedl-Quinkertz, Matthias Hammerschmidt
Summary: The vertebral column is the key feature of the vertebrate phylum, and its development differs between amniotes and teleosts. In teleosts, BMPs have been shown to directly signal chordoblasts and play a vital role in notochord sheath mineralization. This study focuses on BMP-RA interplay in zebrafish and reveals that BMPs promote sustained matrix production and mineralization in chordoblasts, while RA affects chordoblasts' progression after they have received BMP signals. This research provides insights into the early steps of vertebral column segmentation and has implications for human bone diseases related to BMP signaling.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Paco Lopez-Cuevas, Luke Deane, Yushi Yang, Chrissy L. Hammond, Erika Kague
Summary: Notochordal cells play a critical role in vertebral column patterning, and their transformation can disrupt bone development and intervertebral disc stability. Transformed notochord cells in zebrafish skeleton cause damage and activate a chronic wound response, indicating parallels between chordomas, wounds, IVD degeneration, and inflammation.
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Agnieszka. M. M. Piatkowska, Kaustubh Adhikari, Adam. A. A. Moverley, Mark Turmaine, James. A. A. Glazier, Nicolas Plachta, Susan. E. E. Evans, Claudio. D. D. Stern
Summary: This study examines the cellular processes involved in somite formation and reveals that the progression of events differs from previous models. The use of various microscopy techniques provides detailed insights into the cell shape and polarity changes during this process.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Denise Rebello, Elizabeth Wohler, Vida Erfani, Guozhuang Li, Alexya N. Aguilera, Alberto Santiago-Cornier, Sen Zhao, Steven W. Hwang, Robert D. Steiner, Terry Jianguo Zhang, Christina A. Gurnett, Cathleen Raggio, Nan Wu, Nara Sobreira, Philip F. Giampietro, Brian Ciruna
Summary: Human vertebral malformations (VMs) are associated with health problems such as congenital scoliosis (CS) and syndromes like VACTERL. The genetic cause for most VMs is unknown. In this study, COL11A2 variants were identified in CS/VM patients, and experiments in zebrafish suggested a role for COL11A2 in vertebral development and a pathogenic role for these variants in CS.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Cassandra M. Donatelli, Alexus S. Roberts, Eric Scott, Kylene DeSmith, Dexter Summers, Layanne Abu-Bader, Dana Baxter, Emily M. Standen, Marianne E. Porter, Adam P. Summers, Eric D. Tytell
Summary: This study quantified the internal shape of vertebrae in different species of fishes and conducted mechanical testing to understand how the internal morphology affects stiffness. By combining kinematic data from swimming trials with vertebral morphology, a model was created to predict swimming behaviors in fishes based on their vertebral shapes. Linear discriminant analysis showed that internal vertebral morphology is sufficient to predict habitat, body shape, and swimming mode in fishes, allowing for predictions about swimming in difficult-to-study species.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Claire P. J. Whittaker, Daniela Losada-Medina, Isabelle Desprez, Sally Sukut
Summary: This article describes a case of chordoma in the proximal tail of a ferret, providing radiographic and histopathological evidence for diagnosis.
VETERINARY RADIOLOGY & ULTRASOUND
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Hain, Tatiana Gallego-Flores, Michaela Klinkmann, Angeles Macias, Elena Ciirdaeva, Anja Arends, Christina Thum, Georgi Tushev, Friedrich Kretschmer, Maria Antonietta Tosches, Gilles Laurent
Summary: The existence of evolutionarily conserved regions in the vertebrate brain is well established, but the rules and constraints underlying the evolution of neuron types remain poorly understood. By comparing neuron types across brain regions and species, both conserved and divergent neuron types were identified. The diversification of thalamic neurons is correlated with the evolution of the cortex, indicating that developmental origin and circuit allocation play a role in neuronal identity and evolution.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Junxiu Liu, Xiuhao Liang, Rixing Yang, Yuling Luo, Hao Lu, Liangjia Li, Shunsheng Zhang, Su Yang
Summary: In this work, a Federated Learning-based Vertebral Body Segment Framework (FLVBSF) is proposed, which improves the sensitivity to vertebral body pixels and segmentation accuracy by using a local Dual Attention Gates (DAGs)-based attention mechanism and a global federated learning framework. Experimental results show that FLVBSF significantly enhances the performance of the vertebral segmentation model.
ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Dong Hyun Kim, Jin Gyo Jeong, Young Jae Kim, Kwang Gi Kim, Ji Young Jeon
Summary: The study utilized a deep learning model for vertebral segmentation, demonstrating its effectiveness in accurately measuring vertebral compression ratio. Correlation analysis showed no statistical difference between the data segmented by the model and manually measured results, indicating good equivalence.
JOURNAL OF DIGITAL IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Biology
Abby Beatty, Alexander M. Rubin, Haruka Wada, Britt Heidinger, Wendy R. Hood, Tonia S. Schwartz
Summary: Calls for research on IGF2 in adult animals due to its important role in the insulin-like signalling network, which has been largely neglected in previous studies. Extensive survey and experimental evidence demonstrate the widespread presence of IGF2 in amniotes, often with higher relative expression than IGF1.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biology
Yinghui Wu, Hong Zhang, Qiang Wang, Suoyuan Li, Jun Shen
Summary: This paper discusses the crucial functions and underlying mechanisms of the transcription factor Brachyury in notochord differentiation and nucleus pulposus development, and suggests its potential as a novel target for the therapy of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Article
Biology
Valentin Fischer, Rebecca F. Bennion, Davide Foffa, Jamie A. MacLaren, Matthew R. McCurry, Keegan M. Melstrom, Nathalie Bardet
Summary: In this study, a novel geometric morphometric protocol was applied to three-dimensional tooth models of various predatory marine amniotes, quantitatively examining the association between tooth shape and diet. The results demonstrate that tooth shape and size are strongly correlated with diet, while crown surface complexity is not. Four principal predatory guilds within toothed marine amniotes were identified, and unique dental morphologies during the Mesozoic period were also recognized.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
A. Levillain, S. Ahmed, D-M Kaimaki, S. Schuler, S. Barros, D. Labonte, J. C. Iatridis, N. C. Nowlan
Summary: Embryonic muscle forces play a crucial role in vertebral and intervertebral disc development, with muscle contractions affecting notochord involution, vertebral segmentation, and the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc. Absence of muscle contractions leads to vertebral fusion, displacement of the nucleus pulposus, structural disruption of collagen in the annulus fibrosus, and increased viscosity in the annulus fibrosus. These findings highlight the importance of mechanical forces and muscle loading in proper intervertebral disc formation and potential tissue engineering therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration.
EUROPEAN CELLS & MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Laura M. Goffart, Christina Precht, Geoffrey T. Fosgate, Arianna Maiolini, Bianca F. Hettlich
Summary: This study evaluated the accuracy of end-on fluoroscopy in predicting implant position in relation to the vertebral canal in canine thoracolumbar vertebral column. The results showed that end-on fluoroscopy is a highly accurate method for assessing pin position in relation to the spinal canal, and it is more accurate than conventional radiographic assessment.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Lydvina Meister, Hector Escriva, Stephanie Bertrand
Summary: The FGF signalling pathway plays crucial roles in controlling the fate of anterior paraxial mesoderm cells and the formation of the anterior notochord in vertebrates and cephalochordates. Inhibition of FGF signal pathway results in loss of structures and affects embryonic development.
Article
Developmental Biology
Claire Anderson, Bill Hill, Hui-Chun Lu, Adam Moverley, Youwen Yang, Nidia M. M. Oliveira, Richard A. Baldock, Claudio D. Stern
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudio D. Stern
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hyung Chul Lee, Hui-Chun Lu, Mark Turmaine, Nidia M. M. Oliveira, Youwen Yang, Irene De Almeida, Claudio D. Stern
Biographical-Item
Cell Biology
Claudio D. Stern
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Priyom Adhyapok, Agnieszka M. Piatkowska, Michael J. Norman, Sherry G. Clendenon, Claudio D. Stern, James A. Glazier, Julio M. Belmonte
Summary: The process of somitogenesis in chicken embryos involves a caudally-progressing epithelialization front in the dorsal pre-somitic mesoderm, preceding somite formation. A mechanical instability model proposes that apical contractility increases lead to periodic failure of adhesion junctions within the dorsal pre-somitic mesoderm, determining the future inter-somite boundaries. The spatially periodic segments produced by this model depend on the speed of contraction activation front and the rate of contractility buildup, and whether these segments are regular or irregular is determined by the Lambda/F ratio.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jenny van Dongen, Scott D. Gordon, Allan F. McRae, Veronika V. Odintsova, Hamdi Mbarek, Charles E. Breeze, Karen Sugden, Sara Lundgren, Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez, Eilis Hannon, Terrie E. Moffitt, Fiona A. Hagenbeek, Catharina E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jouke Jan Hottenga, Pei-Chien Tsai, Josine L. Min, Gibran Hemani, Erik A. Ehli, Franziska Paul, Claudio D. Stern, Bastiaan T. Heijmans, P. Eline Slagboom, Lucia Daxinger, Silvere M. van der Maarel, E. J. C. de Geus, Gonneke Willemsen, Grant W. Montgomery, Bruno Reversade, Miina Ollikainen, Jaakko Kaprio, Tim D. Spector, Jordana T. Bell, Jonathan Mill, Avshalom Caspi, Nicholas G. Martin, Dorret Boomsma
Summary: This study shows that monozygotic twinning is strongly associated with a characteristic DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. While it is believed that MZ twinning occurs randomly due to the lack of familial patterns, this research suggests a stable DNA methylation signature is present in adult somatic tissues of monozygotic twins, potentially allowing for retrospective diagnosis of monozygotic twinning.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hyung Chul Lee, Cato Hastings, Nidia M. M. Oliveira, Ruben Perez-Carrasco, Karen M. Page, Lewis Wolpert, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: By manipulating early chick embryos, researchers found that cells in the developing system interpret morphogen status relative to their neighborhood, rather than reading morphogen concentrations autonomously. This finding has important implications for understanding tissue pattern formation and how cells interpret positional information.
Article
Developmental Biology
Hyung Chul Lee, Cato Hastings, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: Classical studies have shown that the extra-embryonic tissues in chicks, specifically the marginal zone, play a crucial role in establishing embryonic polarity. The outer region, previously thought to have only nutritive and support functions, was found to have three distinct functions: inducing a posterior marginal zone, influencing the polarity of the adjacent marginal zone, and rescuing the ability to regulate polarity in early embryos.
Article
Developmental Biology
Claudio D. Stern
Summary: Developmental Biology is a interdisciplinary field that tackles fundamental questions in Biology. The past 100 years have witnessed significant advancements, driven by new technologies and knowledge from other fields. However, the field has been rapidly changing in the past two decades, raising concerns. This article provides an overview of the changes that have occurred and calls for efforts to regain what has been lost in the field.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Biographical-Item
Developmental Biology
Chris Wylie, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: Ruth Bellairs, a legendary figure in chick embryology, pioneered new techniques and made important discoveries. Her mentorship had a profound impact on us.
Article
Cell Biology
Hyung Chul Lee, Nidia M. M. Oliveira, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: During primitive streak formation in the chick embryo, cVG1 and FGF signals play key roles. cVG1 is involved in primitive streak identity and elongation, while FGF signaling affects streak formation through regulation of cell intercalation.
DEVELOPMENT GENES AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Tatiana Solovieva, Valerie Wilson, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: The head-tail axis in birds and mammals develops from a growth zone in the tail-end called the node and tailbud, which contains cells that may be resident axial stem cells. Experiments have shown that the node can instruct self-renewing behavior in these stem cells, but further studies are needed to determine whether this behavior occurs at the population level or at the level of single cells.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hyung Chul Lee, Yara Fadaili, Claudio D. Stern
Summary: During avian development, the edge cells play a crucial role in blastoderm expansion. This study explores the morphology and molecular properties of the edge cells in chick embryos and uncovers distinct sub-regions within the edge. Live imaging reveals dynamic cellular activity at the leading edge of the outermost cells. The findings suggest that edge cells could serve as a valuable model system for studying wound healing and closure events in epithelial cell sheets.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Agnieszka. M. M. Piatkowska, Kaustubh Adhikari, Adam. A. A. Moverley, Mark Turmaine, James. A. A. Glazier, Nicolas Plachta, Susan. E. E. Evans, Claudio. D. D. Stern
Summary: This study examines the cellular processes involved in somite formation and reveals that the progression of events differs from previous models. The use of various microscopy techniques provides detailed insights into the cell shape and polarity changes during this process.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robin M. Skory, Adam A. Moverley, Goli Ardestani, Yanina Alvarez, Ana Domingo-Muelas, Oz Pomp, Blake Hernandez, Piotr Tetlak, Stephanie Bissiere, Claudio D. Stern, Denny Sakkas, Nicolas Plachta
Summary: During preimplantation development, contractile forces generated at the apical cortex segregate cells into inner and outer positions of the embryo, establishing the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm. The nuclear lamina is connected to the cortex via an F-actin meshwork, and forces transmitted to the nuclear lamina control actin organization to differentially regulate factors specifying lineage identity. Actomyosin contractility and Lamin-A levels play a crucial role in determining the fate of cells in the inner cell mass and trophectoderm.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Developmental Biology
Cheng Shi, Pengfei Jiao, Zhiyi Chen, Lan Ma, Siyue Yao
Summary: This review discusses the molecular etiology of congenital craniofacial abnormalities, with a focus on the role and mechanism of noncoding RNAs in regulating craniofacial development. Aberrant expression of noncoding RNAs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of craniofacial abnormalities, providing potential therapeutic targets.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hideru Togashi, Steven Ray Davis, Makoto Sato
Summary: Tile patterns, regulated by cell adhesion molecules, are regular arrangements of cells that play important functional roles in multicellular organisms. The physical constraints and cell adhesion regulate both cell shape and tissue morphogenesis.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Armen Khanbabei, Lina Segura, Cynthia Petrossian, Aaron Lemus, Ithan Cano, Courtney Frazier, Armen Halajyan, Donnie Ca, Mariano Loza-Coll
Summary: This article investigates the genetic regulatory mechanisms of Drosophila intestinal stem cells. The study found that most target genes co-regulated by Esg and STAT show a consistent gene expression pattern. However, manipulating these validated targets in vivo rarely replicated the effects of manipulating Esg and STAT, suggesting the presence of complex genetic interactions among the downstream targets of these two master regulator genes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Bayley J. Waters, Zoe R. Birman, Matthew R. Wagner, Julia Lemanski, Barak Blum
Summary: Researchers found that conditional deletion of Robo2 in adult mice led to a significant loss of islet architecture without affecting beta cell identity or function, suggesting that Robo2 plays a role in actively maintaining adult islet architecture. Understanding the factors required for islet architecture maintenance is crucial for developing future diabetes therapies.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Rhiannon Clements, Tyler Smith, Luke Cowart, Jennifer Zhumi, Alan Sherrod, Aidan Cahill, Ginger L. Hunter
Summary: Cell protrusions play a crucial role in regulating cell activities during development. By studying the regulation mechanism in fruit fly sensory bristle patterning, it was found that Myosin XV is essential for the dynamics of signaling filopodia and promotes long-range Notch signaling.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Margaret Keating, Ryan Hagle, Daniel Osorio-Mendez, Anjelica Rodriguez-Parks, Sarah I. Almutawa, Junsu Kang
Summary: Knock-in reporter (KI) animals are essential for studying gene expression in biomedical research. This study developed a new strategy using minicircle technology and a minimal promoter to enhance knock-in events and establish stable KI transgenic reporter lines. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting the proper KI line due to potential inappropriate influence of genome editing on reporter gene expression.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Christian Altbuerger, Meta Rath, Daniel Armbruster, Wolfgang Driever
Summary: This study reveals that Neurog1 and Olig2 transcription factors have differential requirements for the development of dopaminergic neurons, and they integrate local patterning signals and Notch neurogenic selection signaling to specify the progenitor population and initiate neurogenesis and differentiation.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)