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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 7h

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🧠 Neural crest marker FOXD3 regulates ventralising SHH expression in the floorplate and is required for proper neural tube morphogenesis. By Jenaid Rees, Laura Kerosuo, et al. doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.001

A common gene expression pattern between the neural crest and floorplate. To identify genes in common between the FOXD3-positive cells in the dorsal and ventral neural tube that are not highly expressed in the rest of the neural tube, we selected genes from the list of top 100 markers from our single cell RNA sequencing analysis (of pooled FOXD3-positive cells) based on UMAP distributions reflecting this pattern. This included neural crest marker genes (A) FOXD3, (B) SOX5 and (C) OLFML3, actin and fibronectin binding proteins (D) COTL1 and (E) FBLN1, and GTP-binding proteins (F) DLC1 and (G) ARL4A. (H–N) Fluorescent in situ Hybridization Chain Reaction for these genes on cranial chicken embryo sections at HH9 shows a distinct pattern of increased gene expression in the neural crest and floorplate in comparison to the rest of the neural tube (outlined by grey dashed lines). Scale bar: 25 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Sfrp1a regulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell development and canonical Wnt signaling in a dose-dependent manner in zebrafish. By Amber Ide, Stephanie Grainger, et al doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.09.019

Representative images of 7XTCF:GFP; kdrl:mCherryNLS fish injected with 500 pg control mRNA or 500 pg sfrp1a mRNA and the double positive cells were analyzed for GFP fluorescence at 16.5 hpf. Arrow heads point to double positive cells in the floor of the dorsal aorta.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🧠 A central role for Islr2 in direct pathway striatal projection neurons for the correct formation of the internal capsule and cerebral peduncle By S Ali, J Ehrman, P Merchan-Sala, M Kofron, R Waclaw, K Campbell doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.003

Axonal defects in Isl1cre-vs Foxd1cre-driven Islr2 cKOs. A-L. E18.5 sagittal mouse brain sections of control (A,D,G,J,M Isl1cre;Islr2flx/+; Sox8-EGFP; Fezf2-TdTomato), Isl1cre-driven Islr2 cKO (B,E,H,K,N Isl1cre;Islr2flx/flx; Sox8-EGFP; Fezf2-TdTomato) and Foxd1cre-driven Islr2 cKO (C,F,I,L,O Foxd1cre; Islr2flx/flx; Sox8-EGFP; Fezf2-TdTomato). A-C. Sox8-EGFP labeling of dSPN projections. D-F. Fezf2-TdTomato labeling of corticofugal projections. G-I. Netrin-G1a labeling of TCAs (arrows in G,I show cortical innervation). J-O. Merged images show a severe disruption of dSPN axons, CFAs (arrowhead in B,E,K,N) and TCAs (open arrowhead showing normal telencephalic entry point in G-I, M-O and misrouted axons indicated by closed arrowhead in H) in Isl1cre-driven Islr2 cKO when compared to control (A,D,G,J). In contrast, Foxd1cre -driven Islr2 cKO (C,F,I,L,O) exhibit overtly normal axon trajectories. P-R. Schematics made using bioRender, with Islr2 expressing regions in yellow and recombined regions in white showing dSPN axon (green), CFA (red), and TCA (blue) trajectories in control (P) and Islr2 cKO - either Isl1cre-driven (mutant dSPNs shown with open green arrow; Q) or Foxd1cre-driven (R). cp, cerebral peduncle; Ctx, cortex; GP, globus pallidus; ic, internal capsule; TRN, thalamic reticular nucleus; SNr, substantia nigra pars reticulata; Stm, striatum; STN, subthalamic nucleus; Th, thalamus. Scale bar in A-L = 500 μm; M-O = 125 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🐠 Conserved genes play a role in facial soft tissue morphogenesis in humans and cichlids. By Ehsan Pashay Ahi, Christian Sturmbauer, R. Craig Albertson, Pooja Singh doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.10.014

Examples of cichlid fish models for studying the heritable morphologies of human face. (A) Heritability map of human face. Red and blue areas indicate high and low levels of heritability, respectively (www.heritabilitymaps.info). White ovals were added arbitrarily to indicate specific regions of the forehead, upper lip, and nose that are reported to be highly heritable in humans. (B) African cichlids as models to study facial areas with high of levels of heritability in human (e.g. forehead, nose and upper lip). (C) Examples of predicted co-expression of facial morphogenic genes in human soft tissues (www.gtexportal.org) with potentially conserved role in cichlids.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Thyroid-hormone-induced metamorphosis has been deregulation in the evolution of obligately paedomorphic salamanders By Ronald Bonett, Samantha Trame doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.009

Head images of the obligately larval-form paedomorphic Three-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum) above and Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) below. Note the loss of external gills but maintenance of a gill slit on A. tridactylum, which is an example of partial metamorphosis. Photos by S. D. Trame and R. M. Bonett respectively.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🐠 Overexpression of potassium channel Kcna5 alters skeletal patterning in the zebrafish regenerating fin, delaying joint formation and causing longer segments. By Alexander Seaver, Xinxhao Li, Kathryn Iovine tinyurl.com/ut5wyx2v

Effects of exogenous Xl-kcna5 overexpression on segment length requires Cx43 function. A) Overview of experimental design. At day 0, fins from non-transgenic and transgenic siblings were amputated at the 50 % level and were systemically heat shocked at 37 °C for 1 h at 3 dpa. At 7 dpa/4 dpt, fins were stained with calcein prior to measurements of regenerate length and segment length. B) Fins were measured from amputation plane to distal tip of regenerate (white arrows) on the third-most dorsal fin ray at 7 dpa/4 dpt. C) Segment length was measured as the distance between the first and second joints distal of the amputation plane on the third-most dorsal fin ray (white arrows). Amputation planes are denoted by the white dotted line.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch The oocytes of basal dermapterans (earwigs) lack the posterior pole lysosomal compartment By Szczepan Bilinski, Magda Sochaczewska, Paula Irles, Stanislaw Miodonski, Andres Sarrazin, Waclaw Tworzydlo doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.002

Distribution of lysosome-like bodies in the oocytes of basal and derived dermapterans. In basal dermapterans, lysosome-like bodies remain dispersed throughout oogenesis, whereas in eudermapterans they accumulate at the posterior pole of the oocyte to form the posterior pole lysosomal compartment (PPLC). Families analyzed in the present study are highlighted in red (Pygidicranidae: Gonolabina spectabilis; Anisolabididae: Euborellia annulipes). The family analyzed in the parallel study (Sochaczewska et al., 2026; this issue) is highlighted in blue (Forficulidae: Apterygida media and Forficula auricularia).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Today! September 16th 2026 EST: 12:00–1:00 PM New season of DevBioConnect Author Seminar begins on Dr. David Paulding On Cranial Neural Crest www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Dr. Neha Ahuja On Renal Pericyte www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Register here👇 forms.gle/m14hJGbU2V8c...

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Mouse variants in Taf1c - a crucial component of the RNA polymerase I pre-initiation complex - result in reduced survival to birth By Jennifer Watts, Logan Willeke, Rolf Stottmann tinyurl.com/yr7bne74

TAF1C(S428A/R202Q) variants in human patients cause severe Tessier Cleft and skeletal defects. These are CRISPRed into mouse models, but show no craniofacial abnormalities in mouse model that survive to weaning. Homozygotes for the Taf1c deletion die in utero before face formations. Heterozygotes for either variant have no craniofacial anormalities post birth, but show reduced survival priori to weaning.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Branch extension and intracellular lumen formation are spatio-temporally coupled throughout Drosophila larval stages, and nascent tubes are initially fluid-filled By Tanner Simpson, Jodi Schottenfeld-Roames doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.010

Terminal cells grow but do not form new branches or nascent fluid-filled tubes during the final larval instar. (E) Cartoon model of the entire late L3 terminal cell (gray) shown in F-H. The boxed regions in magenta are magnified in F-H’. (F-H′) Composite images of terminal branches (membrane in magenta) located at the anterior (F-F′), central (G-G′), and posterior (H-H′) regions of the terminal cell show accumulations of Lum:GFP (green) at the distal tips of tubes (F′, G′, H′). All tubes in this cell are gas-filled to the point of this Lum:GFP (data not shown). All scale bars represent 10 μm. Scale bar in A applies to A′ and scale bar in F applies to F-H’.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Rbm8a deficiency causes hematopoietic defects by modulating Wnt/PCP signaling By Agnese Kocere, Alexa Burger, et al. tinyurl.com/2rcuyhvy

Schematic of basic hematopoietic lineage and marker relationships. AGM: aorta-gonadal-mesonephros area; ICM: intermediate cell mass; PBI: posterior blood island; CHT: caudal hematopoietic territory; VDA: ventral dorsal aorta.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

One week away! New season of DevBioConnect Author Seminar begins on September 16, 2026 EST 12:00–1:00 PM Dr. David Paulding On Cranial Neural Crest www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Dr. Neha Ahuja On Renal Pericyte www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Register👇 forms.gle/m14hJGbU2V8c...

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🪰 Drosophila eye development is compromised by dTet overexpression through altered retinal determination gene expression By Malak Kleit, Sarah Mantash, Abdullah El-Kurdi, Jawdat Sandakly, Margret Shirinian, et al doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.006

Overexpression of dTet in eyes leads to total or partial loss of eye imaginal discs. Immunofluorescence staining for Elav, a pan-neuronal RNA-binding protein, was performed on eye imaginal discs from control, dTet-overexpressing, and dTet knockdown flies. Scale bar, 20 μm and 50 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Unusually high prevalence of cervical ribs in an 18th-Century Hungarian town: The impact of a tuberculosis epidemic on homeotic shifts during pregnancy By F Galis, AEA van der Geer, TJM Van Dooren, T Szeniczey, T Hajdu, K Kiss, I Pap tinyurl.com/yc8jjkft

Congenital anomalies associated with cervical ribs. A) Spina bifida occulta, a neural tube defect that causes the neural spines not to close (indicated by arrow; Vác no. 153), B) Asymmetric 6th cervical vertebra (Vác no. 178), C) Fused 7th cervical and 1st thoracic vertebra (Vác no. 153), D) Fused 2nd and 3rd cervical vertebrae (Vác no. 153), E) Fused 1st and 2nd thoracic vertebrae (Vác no. 180), F) Sacrum with an asymmetric transitional lumbosacral vertebra (indicated by the arrow). This is due to lumbarization of the 1st sacral vertebra on the right (i.e. the right part of the vertebra has a more lumbar shape, with the transverse process not fused laterally to the ilium and not fused caudally to the adjacent sacral vertebra; Vác no. 260), G) Part of a vertebral column showing symmetric homeotic transformations and asymmetry in the length of lumbar transverse processes. The most caudal lumbar vertebra (indicated by the vertical arrow) has been sacralized on the left (i.e. it has a more sacral shape and is fused to the sacrum) and the twelfth thoracic vertebra (indicated by the horizontal arrow) has been lumbarized on the left (on the left a lumbar transverse process and on the right a rib articulation). There is a strong asymmetry in the length of the transverse processes of the first and fourth lumbar vertebrae (Vác no. 195), H) Sternum with asymmetrical left and right first ribs (Vác no. 153).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch SFRP1 loss reveals mesenchymal mechanisms underlying abnormal lung maturation via Wnt and PDGF signaling By Nooralam Rai, Tina Zelonina, Kiran Chada, Jeanine D'Armiento doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.011

Loss of SFRP1 leads to altered PDGFR⍺ and associated disrupted signaling dynamics. Representative section at P0 showing PDGFR⍺ in magenta, pancytokeratin in yellow, and nuclei in cyan (DAPI).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Teaching the complexities of biological sex determination with the goal of creating a more inclusive classroom and perhaps challenging key components of the oversimplified rhetoric of the gender binary By Rebecca Delventhal tinyurl.com/53y96td5

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

New season of DevBioConnect Author Seminar begins on September 16th, 2026 EST: 12:00–1:00 PM Dr. David Paulding On Cranial Neural Crest www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Dr. Neha Ahuja On Renal Pericyte www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Register here👇 forms.gle/m14hJGbU2V8c...

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🪰 Shared candidate genes associated with variation in egg size in cold-adapted and artificially selected Drosophila melanogaster By Intisar Koch, Taylor Beagle, Tyler Hayes, Cecelia Miles, et al doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.015

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Scarecrow, a homolog of mammalian Nkx2.1, regulates the temporal progression and glial differentiation of medulla neuroblasts for the optic lobe development in Drosophila melanogaster By Cheol-Ho Yun, Kyungjun Seok, Gyunghee G. Lee, Jae H. Park, Siuk Yoo tinyurl.com/3zz6rfnv

Expression patterns of Scro during OPC development. (B-C‴) The late L3 brains from scroΔE2-EGFP (scroEGFP) were double-stained with two consecutive tTFs, Ey and Slp2 (B-B‴) and Slp2 and D (C-C‴). EGFP signals represent scro expression. Scro begins to express in Ey+/Slp2+ NBs (arrowheads, B-B‴) and continues in Slp2+/D+ NB (arrowheads, C-C‴). Note that some Slp2+/D+ NBs do not or very weakly express Scro (arrows, C-C‴).
(D-D″) scroΔE2-Gal4 (scroGal4) was crossed with a UAS-nRFP (scro > nRFP), and the larval brains were stained with anti-D. As D+ NBs age, the D expression levels gradually decrease (arrowheads, D″). Note that Scro expression is detected in the early-D stage (blue arrowhead, D′), disappears in the mid-D stage (red arrowhead, D′), and reappears in the late-D stage (yellow arrowhead, D′). (E) Diagram representing the expression domains of tTFs and Scro. Note that D and Tll temporal windows do not overlap. Scale bars, 5 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Perturbing pH dynamics after zebrafish larval tail amputation impairs regeneration, which is rescued by GSK3 inhibitors. By Cambria Chou-Freed, Christopher Prinz, Anush Margaryan, Julie Theriot, Daniel Wagner, Diane Barber doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.004

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI A comparative analysis of VEGF and its receptors revealed tissue-specific disruptions in angiogenic signaling and endothelial integrity in Hmox1-deficient mouse embryos By Meenakshi Rana, Gouri Nandi, Sidhant Jain, Divya Bajaj tinyurl.com/4dcw5aph

Immunolocalization of VEGF was altered in 16.5 dpc Hmox1-KO mouse embryos. (a–f) Representative images of VEGF immunostaining in para- and mid-sagittal sections of 16.5 dpc wWT (a and b), WT (c and d), and KO (e and f) embryos. VEGF protein was visualized using DAB substrate for enzyme-linked detection. A no-primary-antibody control is included as an inset within the wWT sections, and the areas of the organs imaged at higher magnification to reveal cellular details are marked in the whole-mount images. (g–i) The region of forebrain imaged was thalamus which is a diencephalon derivative. (j–l) Cardiac muscle cells of the muscular region of the ventricles are visible and the nuclei (N) of the same are indicated with black arrows. (m–o) The epithelial cells of bronchiole (Br) and distal lung epithelial cells (DE) are indicated by black and red arrows respectively. (p–r) Individually scattered megakaryocytes (Me) are indicated with black arrows, and the liver parenchyma is marked as P. (s–u) The tubules (T) and collecting ducts (CD) are indicated by red and yellow arrows respectively, whereas glomeruli (G) are indicated by black arrows. The cortex parenchyma is marked as P. Scale bars: a to f—2 mm; g to u—50 μm. Semi-Semi-quantitative analysis of VEGF signal intensity (bottom-left corner of the figure) in wWT, WT and KO embryos.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Novel functional and molecular aspects of Hox/TALE in the context of different animal model systems and regulatory pathways discussed at a March 2026 workshop By Samir Merabet, Dorothea Schulte doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.07.007

Summary of the three main topics covered during the HOX/TALE workshop, with the different molecular aspects, experimental tools and model systems introduced by the speakers. From the top of the pyramid:
HOX/TALE;
Chromatin, protein stability, TF combination, RNA splicing, subnuclear localization;
Spatial transcriptomics, Hi-C, ChIP-seq, Proteomics, AI, Genetics, ATAC-seq, Imaging, Bioinformatics, Single-cell;
Patterning (Gastruloid, Limb bud, pharyngeal arch, embryo), Morphogenesis (muscle, nervous system, heart, facial, fat body), cell fate (HSCs, neurons, muscle)

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch The molecular mechanism underlying melatonin-mediated repair of ovarian damage in mice exposed to abnormal light cycles By F Zhang, R Ma, Y Jin, K Wang, H He, F Wang, G Zhang doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.014

Schematic of the effects of abnormal light cycles and melatonin (MLT) supplementation on ovarian function. A reversed light/darkness (LD) to darkness/light (DL) or light/light (LL) cycles lead to ovarian dysfunction and follicle loss. Melatonin intervention in DL (MDL) and LL (MLL) cycles restores ovarian function and key pathways. Highlighted are genes Insl3, Runx2, Timp1, and pathways regulation of apoptosis, teroid biosynthesis, ovarian follicle development, and circadian rhythm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI The patterning and proliferation roles of Shh are partitioned on distinct exosomes: Shh-P150 drive neural tube patterning, Shh-P450 promotes proliferation By Ankita Walvekar, Shivangi Pandey, Siddhesh Kamat, Raj Ladher, Neha Vyas tinyurl.com/46sajrdd

Gαi inhibition, using PTX, cannot activate ventral progenitor specification by Shh-P450 pool. (A–B) Representative immunofluorescence image of neural explants treated with 4 nM Shh-P150 (A, top panel), 4 nM Shh-P450 (A, bottom panel) and treated with 100 ng/ml PTX respectively (B) for 48 h and stained for Olig2 (green, left panel and merge), Pax7 (gray, middle panel and merge), and Pan neural progenitor marker, Sox2 (red, all merge); scale bar = 50 μm. No activation of Olig2, or inhibition of Pax7, is observed in bottom panels treated with 4 nM Shh-P450 with or without PTX.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Mice with Fsp1-driven PDGFRβ hyperactivation develop cataracts, with rapid and complete lens opacification by 15 weeks. By Jesse Reardon, Yixuan Ma, Heather Chandler, Gina Sizemore, et al. tinyurl.com/2zhd9py7

Progressive cataractogenesis in mice with Fsp1-driven PDGFRβ hyperactivity. Representative lenses from Fsp1-cre;Pdgfrb+/D849V mice and age-matched controls from 9 to 15 weeks of age were imaged over a transmission electron grid and evaluated for cataract.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Developmental analysis of the cone photoreceptor-less little skate retina reveals distinct Onecut1 isoforms By Chetan Rangachar, Denice Moran, Mark Emerson doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.010

P0 mouse retinas electroporated ex vivo with ThrbCRM1:GFP, pCAG::Bgal, and a pCAG construct driving expression of the Onecut1 transcript denoted at the left of each row. After 2 days, retinas were harvested and processed for confocal microscopy to visualize nuclei (DAPI in blue), GFP reporter (yellow), Bgal (magenta), and Onecut1 protein (white), which is detected in unelectroporated mouse horizontal cells in all retinas and in any electroporated cell expressing a Onecut1 protein recognized by the antibody. Visualized channels are shown above each row. C) pCAG:mouse Onecut1. (D) pCAG::LSOC1X1. (E) pCAG::LSOC1X2. Scale bars are all 50 μm. (F) AlphaFold3 models predicting the binding properties of one variable Onecut1 molecule (mouse, skate canonical, or skate spacer isoform), two molecules of Otx2, and the ThrbCRM1 double helix. All DNA-binding domains, the Onecut1 linker, spacer, and ThrbCRM1 are shown. Onecut1 CUT (blue), HD (red), spacer element (yellow), and canonical linker (green) are labeled. Otx2 HD is labeled in orange.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Genetic knockout suggests Isl1 enhancer redundancy in mouse hindlimb development By Seth Olson, Yasuhiko Kawakami, et al. tinyurl.com/2jjje2sn

Isl1 HLPE contributes to ISL1 expression in the branchial arch ectoderm
(A) Representative images of the wild-type (A-A‴) and Isl1 HLPE−/− (B-B‴) E9.5 branchial arch stained with DAPI (A, B), anti-TRP63 antibody (A′, B′), and anti-ISL1 antibody (A″, B″). Panels A‴ and B‴ show merged images. The white dotted line in A‴ and B‴ represents the region of interest where fluorescent intensity was analyzed. Scale bar: 100 μm. Single-color images are shown in grayscale.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🪰 The Drosophila ovarian terminal filament imports lipophilic molecules that support cyst and follicle development within the ovariole By Bhawana Maurya, Allan Spradling doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.013

Kinetics of Sec6 and LpR2 dependent lipid transfer from terminal filament to the germarium. LpR2_KD knockdown (bab1-GAL4,tub-GAL80ts > LpR2-RNAi) in terminal filament and cap cells on adult day1 and analyzed on day3, leads to a reduction in lipid droplet number within the germarium, a smaller region 1 and 2a with less-branched fusomes (dashed outline), and defects in cyst development.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI The epigenetic factor CFP1 regulates BMP signaling during limb development, expanding and maintaining mesenchymal progenitors and initiating chondrogenesis. By Emanuele Pignatti, Lijie Jiang, Diana Carlone, et al. tinyurl.com/y3xevhew

Whole mount in situ hybridization analysis of Sox9 gene expression in control (Ctrl) and cKOPrx1 forelimb buds. White dashed line outlines the forelimb bud.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch The vascular–osteogenic interface in craniofacial development: a structured review of emerging associations in congenital malformations By Karl Jacobs et al. doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.012

Formation of the craniofacial skeletal structures in the developing head. Regions are distinguished based on neural crest or mesodermal origin, as well as the embryological mechanism of bone formation (Reprinted from Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Vol 45, Kruijt Spanjer et al., ©2017, with permission from Elsevier Kruijt Spanjer et al., 2017).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI H3K9me2-modified chromatin regions rearrange during mouse embryonic development to adopt cell type-specific configurations By Diana Fulmer, Emily Shields, Andrey Poleshko, Jonathan Epstein, Cheryl Smith tinyurl.com/3e4xutw8

A model of lineage-specific chromatin reorganization concordant with lineage-specific gene expression during cell fate adoption. (A) The model illustrates the correlation between chromatin reorganization and activation of lineage-specific genes (in LADs) and lineage-specific enhancers (in KODs) that occurs during cell differentiation. (B) A schematic illustration of lineage-specific transcriptional enhancer organization in a KOD. Enhancers linked to a given promoter are indicated. In precursor cells (top), enhancers in a KOD are in an inactive, H3K9me2-modified state. During cell differentiation, enhancers undergo local loss of H3K9me2 and acetylation of H3K27 to allow for gene expression.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🪰 Germline cysts require Ecdysone receptor for proper timing of encapsulation in the Drosophila ovary By Lindsay Swain, Daniel Phipps, Susannah Catherine Webster, Lauren Jung, Elizabeth Ables doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.008

Knockdown of EcR in the germline delays egg chamber formation. (A-C) osk-Gal4>UASp-lacZ control (A), EcRRNAi (B), labeled with Vasa (green) and anti-Hts and anti-LaminC (magenta). Cysts are outlined in white.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Intraocular vasculature formation precedes extraocular vasculature penetration of mouse eyes By Satoshi Imanishi, Yohei Tomita, Kazuno Negishi, Kazuo Tsubota, Toshihide Kurihara tinyurl.com/y38awzd3

Formation of hyaloid capillaries and artery. Whole mount staining in mouse eyes at different times. (A) A section of whole mount staining for αSMA, EMCN and TUBB3 in E 11.5 eye. (B) The separated EMCN signal from (A). Cells in hyaloid cavity are EMCN+ (arrow). However, no EMCN + structure has penetrated the retina. (C) Whole mount staining for αSMA, EMCN and TUBB3 in E 12.5 eye. (D) The separated EMCN signal from (C). One EMCN + vessel has penetrated the retina (arrow), but vasculature along the optic nerve has not penetrated the eye. (E) Whole mount staining for EMCN (green) and MAP2 (magenta) in E 13.5 eye. An EMCN + vessel runs along optic nerve. (F) The vessel become αSMA + hyaloid artery at E 15.5. 12 embryos from 3 different mothers were used for E 11.5, 12.5 and 13.5 experiments. 11 embryos from 3 different mothers were used for E15.5 experiments. Scale bar: 200 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

#DBfeature The duplication-degeneration-complementation model: A seminal framework for evolutionary retention of duplicated genes By Chris Amemiya doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.006

Concept diagram of the DDC model (adopted and modified from Prince and Pickett, 2002). In this simple schematic, a single gene (grey box) is shown with three cis-elements (pink, green and blue boxes). After the gene undergoes "Duplication" respective elements that are redundant are able to undergo "Degeneration," wherein mutations (red X's) can render the elements nonfunctional. Since the original gene regulatory functions are maintained in this "Complementation" phase, the gene duplicates are both kept due to this subfunctionalization.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🐸 Identification, expression and function of 28 new candidate regulators of placodal neurogenesis in Xenopus laevis By Bertrand Hutlet, Gerhard Schlosser tinyurl.com/34szsky6

Expression patterns of eya1 and its candidate interaction partners at mid-tailbud stage. Xenopus laevis embryos after whole-mount in situ hybridization at stage 27, in lateral views (anterior is to the left). The schematic drawing (A) shows the distribution of placodes in a mid-tailbud stage embryo. Arrows indicate expression in placodes and display the colour code used in the drawing (yellow: profundal placode; dark green: trigeminal placode; light green: olfactory placode, pink: otic placode; brown: lateral line placode; orange: epibranchial placodes). For placodes derived from the posterior placodal area, only the otic placode and one lateral line placode are indicated in panels C–L. Arrowheads and asterisks indicate other areas of expression. Pink arrowhead: somites; white asterisks: pharyngeal pouches. Blue asterisks (neural crest streams) and arrowheads indicate expression in areas where eya1 is not expressed. Panels D, F, H, J, L are magnifications of panels C, E, G, I, K, respectively. Abbreviations: B, blood islands; E, prospective eye, including lens (L) placode; EB, epibranchial placodes; F: forebrain; H: hindbrain; LL, lateral line placodes; LPM, lateral plate mesoderm; M: midbrain; Ol, olfactory placode; Ot, otic placode; P, pronephros; Pr, profundal placode; V, trigeminal placode.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

#DBfeature A tribute to Gail R Martin, mouse geneticist and mentor extraordinaire (April 12, 1944 - Feb 9, 2026) By Alexandra Joyner doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.05.007

Gail Martin looking at the camera, sitting on a bench in front of a lily pad pond in her garden in Berkeley. Photo from Brigid Hogan.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🐸 MicroRNA miR-196a controls neural crest patterning by repressing immature neural ectoderm programs in Xenopus embryos By Alice Godden, Grant Wheeler, et al. tinyurl.com/4mne33bu

Depletion of miR-196a expands neural plate progenitors at the expense of neural crest specification and neuronal differentiation. Embryos were injected into one dorsal blastomere at the 4-cell stage of development with 300 pg of GFP mRNA or of lacZ developed with Red-gal. In all panels the injected side is to the right. Whole mount in situ hybridisation of zic1, (stage 14), zic3, (stage 14), msx2, (stage 14), sox2, (stage 14), pax6, (stage 15) hairy1, (stage 18), eng2, (stage 15) n-tub (stage 18) and elrc1, (stage 18), following MO mediated miRNA KD. Embryos are positioned in dorsal view with anterior at the top. Whole mounts are shown as well as transverse sections (i). Injection of the MO caused an expansion in the NPB markers Zic1 (n = 28/30) and Zic3 (n = 34/37) but a loss in the anterior region of the NPB marker Msx2 (n = 18/19) (A–C). The neural marker Sox2 was expanded in a lateral direction and appeared to lose the intense dark region of expression seen in the control side (see black arrow) (n = 37/37) (D). Expression of the neural marker Pax6 was slightly enlarged across the anterior neural fold (lens primordia) (see white arrow) but reduced in the position of the forebrain stripe (see black arrow) (n = 18/24) (E). The downstream target of Notch – Hairy1 had a reduced but broadened expression (n = 22/25) (F) Eng2 showed a reduced and broadened expression as well as a shift more posterior (n = 19/25) (G). Both neuronal differentiation markers N-tub (n = 24–30) and ELRC (n = 23/24) were reduced following miR-196aMO injection although this was restricted to the anterior most part of the NP (see black arrows). The expression of these two markers in the trigeminal placodes had extended in both an anterior and posterior direction (see white arrows) (H,I).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🧠 Microtubule binding protein Togaram1 is required for proper development of mammalian forebrain and neural primary cilia, with its knockout leading to a thin and irregular neuron layer By Clarissa Nassar, Savera Shetty, Noelle Dwyer doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.05.011

Neuron layer of E12.5 Togaram1 KO cortex is thin and irregular.
(A) Control E12.5 cortical section shows a thick layer of Pax6+ NSCs in the ventricular zone topped by daughter cells forming layers of basal progenitors (Tbr2+) and neurons (Tubb3+).
(B-D) Examples of different neuron layer abnormalities found in Togaram1 KOs.
(B) KO #1 displays a deep ventricular indent and a small neuron cluster to the left of the indent. Neuron layer is thinner above the indent, but is continuous.
(C) KO #2 has a very thin patchy neuron layer with a large neuron cluster.
(D) KO #3 has a ventricular indent with a thin neuron layer with a gap above the indent. White dashed line marks ventricle, yellow dashed lines outline ectopic neuron clusters, yellow arrowheads indicate breaks in the neuronal layer. Scale bars: 100um.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Injury-induced Neuregulin-EGFR signaling from muscle mobilizes stem cells for whole-body regeneration in acoels By Brian Stevens, Riley Popp, Heather Valera, Kyle Krueger, Christian Petersen tinyurl.com/4h52at7f

Model. (A) Early wound signaling activates expression of nrg-1 in muscle near the wound site by 6 hours and subsequently in the distal blastema region from 1 to 5 days. As regeneration progresses, nrg-1 expressed from muscle signals through egfr-1, and receiving cells of this signaling could either be neoblasts (gray arrows), muscle, or other cell types. A downstream consequence of the signaling results in localization of neoblast proliferation near the blastema region, which correlates in space and time approximately with the locations of nrg-1's late expression phase. The activity of nrg-1 and egfr-1 promotes blastema outgrowth. (B) Regulatory model identifying a critical role for nrg-1 and egfr-1 functionally downstream of egr. Wounding activates immediate early expression of egr, which is responsible for transcriptional activation of nrg-1 and runt-1. nrg-1 is functionally required for regeneration and acts through egfr-1, and these factors exert critical responses downstream of egr in order to localize proliferation to wound sites and also cause blastema outgrowth. Gray lines: contributions from nrg-1 signal feedback and/or roles for pre-existing NRG-1 protein in the wound activation process (see text). (C) Phylogeny showing the conserved use of Neuregulin and/or EGFR signaling to functionally promote regeneration. Acoels are believed to be either early-branching Deuterostomes within Xenacoelomorpha or form a sister group to all Bilaterian animals (dotted lines).

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🐣 Gene knockout in chick reveals a new in vivo role for Cxcl14 during trigeminal ganglion development By Hugo Urrutia, Junpeng Gao, Marianne Bronner doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.06.001

Perturbation of Cxcl14 specifically in placode cells disrupts trigeminal ganglion development. A. Schematic illustrating the in ovo experimental design to perturb Cxcl14, specifically targeting placode cells. Experimental (red) reagents were delivered unilaterally into the ectoderm of HH11 (13 somites) chick embryos. B-E″. Either a Cxcl14 specific gRNA-CRISPR/Cas9 construct (B-C′) or Cxcl14 MO (D-E′) were introduced onto the right side of the embryo. Immunolabeling of SOX10 (magenta) and TUJ1 (green) reveals the effects of loss of Cxcl14 within the trigeminal ganglion, specifically in placode cells at HH16. Arrows indicate position of neural crest-derived cells. Arrowheads indicate position of placode-derived cells.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 👁️ Unraveling the developmental heterogeneity of human retinal ganglion cells within the developing retina By Emil Kriukov, Jonathan Soucy, Everett Labrecque, Petr Baranov tinyurl.com/mtvnssdy

Schematic of workflow. Public datasets re-analysis; processing (UMAPs shown); integration and downstream analysis (cartoon of cell fate trajectories and cell-cell interactions); generation of a reference atlas (annotated UMAP); application by sequencing new data and automatically embedding in the atlas and annotating cell types.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🧠🐁 Neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the developing neocortex are imbalanced in mice lacking the proteoglycan Tsukushi By Sabrina Quaresima, Valerio Licursi, Tenta Ohkubo, Giuseppe Lupo, et al. doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2026.05.009

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Alt text
TSK is expressed in the cortical plate of the developing mouse neocortex.
(A to E) Immunofluorescence with an anti-β-gal antibody (A, B), or X-gal staining (C to E), in coronal brain sections of E14.5 (A), P0 (B, C), P14 (D), or adult (E) TSK+/- mice, showing β-gal expression (green in (A, B); light blue in (C to E)) in the cortical plate between E.14.5 and P14. Hoechst nuclear staining is shown in blue (A, B). Scale bars, 500 μm (A, B) or 1000 μm (C to E).
(F to O) Double immunofluorescence in coronal brain sections of E14.5 TSK+/- mice with an anti-β-gal antibody (green staining) and anti-PAX6 (F, K), anti-Nestin (G, L), anti-TBR2 (H, M), anti-βIII-Tubulin (I, N) or anti-TBR1 (J, O) antibodies (red staining), showing β-gal expression in the cortical plate, partially overlapping with the TBR1+ domain. Images in (K to O) show magnifications of the boxed areas in (F to J). Hoechst nuclear staining is shown in blue. Scale bars, 500 μm.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🐠 Single, double, and triple mutant combinations reveal redundant and novel functions of scube genes during zebrafish development By Quoc Duy Tran, Peter D. Currie et al. tinyurl.com/3d8tj7sf

scube mutants display Hh loss-of-function phenotypes. Loss of slow muscle fibres in scube mutant families at 30 hpf. In wild-type zebrafish, slow muscle fibres form a regular array with clearly defined V-shaped somites. In scube1−/−, scube3−/−, and scube1−/−scube3−/−, morphology of slow muscle fibres are comparable to wild-type siblings. In contrast, scube2−/−, scube1−/−scube2−/−, scube2−/−scube3−/−, and the triple scube mutant show severe disruption of slow muscle fibres along the body, including fibre loss (white arrows), abnormal fibre shapes (yellow arrows), and the presence of U-shaped somites (indicated by white dashed lines). The triple mutant shows the most severe phenotype, characterised by the near-complete loss of slow muscle fibres and pronounced abnormalities in the remaining fibres.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🐠 Skeletal remodeling is responsible for the foramen in the skull for the hyoid artery in zebrafish By Miki Iwasaki, Junpei Kuroda, Masanori Nakae, Hironori Wada doi.org/10.1016/j.yd...

Formation of the Ch foramen by bone deposition. Bone, cartilage and endothelial cells are labeled in cyan, green and magenta, respectively. (E′) A single optical section of the boxed region in E. Channel for green and magenta fluorescence is shown in the right panel. n = 3. Anterior is to the left.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🪱 C. elegans sperm activation for fertilization requires robust activity of the TAT-5 lipid flippase By Katherine Maniates, Ann Wehman et al. tinyurl.com/5fu7c49e

Cartoon of wild type and tat-5 mutant mature sperm and cell membrane. Wild type sperm is motile and functional thanks to internalised PtdEth in the membrane. Mutant spermatocytes lose membrane asymmetry without tat-5 activity, losing their activation an motility.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🐠 Regulation of the yolk microtubule and actin cytoskeleton by Dachsous cadherins during zebrafish epiboly By Gina Castelvecchi, Lila Solnica-Krezel, et al. tinyurl.com/58dmfkc7

Bundled yolk microtubule array structures in dchs triple mutants A. Confocal images at 50% epiboly of WT and dchs triple mutants stained with DAPI (blue) and for DM1α (microtubules, green). Arrowhead indicates microtubule bundling. B. Quantification of yolk microtubule bundling through measurement of bare yolk areas lacking microtubules at 50% epiboly. ∗∗p < 0.01. WT N = 25 embryos, MZdchs1a−/−; Zdchs1b−/−; MZdchs2−/− N = 32 embryos. C. Confocal images of yolk microtubule meshwork marked with DM1α, just vegetal of YSL of WT and dchs triple mutants at 50% epiboly. D. Quantification of yolk microtubule alignment coherency. ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001. WT N = 25 embryos, MZdchs1a−/−; Zdchs1b−/−; MZdchs2−/− N = 32 embryos.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI 🪱 Expression of pal-1, the C. elegans Caudal homologue, is required for correct positioning of motor neuron cell bodies in the larval ventral nerve cord and is regulated by the nuclear hormone receptor SEX-1 By N Noblett, T Roenspies, S Flibotte, A Colavita tinyurl.com/2u963pvx

(E) Schematic showing DD and DA neuron organization along the VNC. (F) Representative images of anterior DA and DD neurons in pal-1(zy117), sex-1(zy130) and double mutants. Asterisks mark dorsally mispositioned neurons. Scale bar = 20 μm. (G) Quantification of worms with dorsally mispositioned neurons at L1. Statistics: (C) one-way ANOVA with Tukey's Post-hoc Comparisons, and (G) Chi-squared test with Monte Carlo simulation for 10,000 replicates, followed by a pairwise analysis using Fisher's exact test with Monte Carlo simulation for 10,000 replicates and adjusted with Holm corrections.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch 🐠 A parallel reporter assay for zebrafish enables simultaneous, quantitative analysis of multiple transcriptional reporters, and cell type-specific comparisons of cis-regulatory module activity By Gloria Ligunas, Stefan Materna tinyurl.com/357w6usv

Parallel reporter analysis reveals cell-type–specific CRM activity in sorted vascular endothelial cells. Activity of barcoded reporters was quantified in sorted vascular endothelial cells relative to the inactive control (C120). Reporters containing the fli CRM showed the strongest activation in this cell type. ubb-containing reporters were significantly activated over controls, but to a lesser extent than in whole embryos. dll4in3 reporter activity was elevated relative to baseline, although the difference from C120 was not statistically significant. Each CRM was tested using two independent barcoded reporters across four biological replicate experiments. Individual points represent barcode-specific measurements from independent biological replicates.

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

#DBfeature #ICYMI Loss of CMTR1 leads to gastrulation failure and disrupted anterior-posterior patterning, with unique gene expression profiles between XX and XY embryos By Janelle Welton, Kimberly Tremblay, Jesse Mager tinyurl.com/4ruh8b5k

Cmtr1 KOs exhibit sex specific differences (a) Whole mount E7.5 male and female control and KO embryos. (B) Quantification of embryo size from E7.5 litters using ImageJ. (C) Principal component analysis (PCA) indicating male and female KOs cluster separately. (D) Normalized counts for select non-X or –Y linked differentially expressed genes which are higher in male KOs than female KOs. (E) Normalized counts (DESeq2) for select differentially expressed non-X or –Y linked genes which are higher in female KOs than male KOs. (F) RT-PCR validation of male/female differential expression in mutant embryos

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Developmental Biology @devbiol.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

#DBfeature #LatestResearch Single-cell RNA-seq uncovers cellular diversity and dynamic gene regulatory networks along the progenitor-to-chondrocyte trajectory of late synovial joint development By Ji-Hye Yea, Qin Bian, Patrick Cahan, et al. tinyurl.com/3cwut5ft

Dynamic GRNs associated with inferred transcriptional progression between progenitor-like and chondrogenic states. (A) Heatmap of genes dynamically expressed along the chondrocyte trajectory. Epoch divides cells (columns) and genes (rows) into stages or epochs. Results of enrichment analysis of genes up-regulated in each epoch are shown to the right of the heatmap. The Epoch algorithm also reconstructs dynamic gene regulatory networks (GRNs). The top regulators of each epoch, determined by the network importance metrics of centrality and betweenness, are listed to the right of the enrichment results. (B) Sub-networks of that exemplify genes specific to the early (Clec3b) and late (Col9a3 and Prg4), and their regulators.

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