Journal of Developmental Biology

14 pages, 3521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Varanid Teeth Asymmetry and Correlation to Body Size

by Guy Sion and Domenic C. D’Amore

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010009 - 10 Mar 2025

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Stressors such as injuries, embryonic instability during development, and higher levels of stress hormones such as testosterone can result in increases in fluctuating asymmetry in reptiles and other vertebrates. Digit asymmetry, digit ratio variability, and skull trait asymmetry such as eye and jaw [...] Read more.

Stressors such as injuries, embryonic instability during development, and higher levels of stress hormones such as testosterone can result in increases in fluctuating asymmetry in reptiles and other vertebrates. Digit asymmetry, digit ratio variability, and skull trait asymmetry such as eye and jaw size have been correlated with stress level in both snakes and lizards. Teeth asymmetry has also been used as a biomarker for stress and brain laterality. Body size is correlated with many potential stressors, yet there has been little research on how body size in reptiles relates to asymmetry. We investigate teeth asymmetry within the lizard family Varanidae, a clade with a diverse range of sizes consisting of the largest living lizard, Varanus komodoensis. Using a landmark/semi-landmark analysis, we derived Centroid Size for 671 pairs of teeth from 13 varanid species, and asymmetry was derived for each pair. Right-biased asymmetry was significantly greater in the upper tooth row, but breaking up tooth positions into further sections did not yield a significant difference. We found a significant positive linear correlation between body size and right-biased teeth directional asymmetry within Varanus, but only when excluding V. komodoensis. This significant correlation may result from fewer potential predators and more potential food items, thus resulting in less overall stress. When analyzed separately, V. komodoensis individuals with <180 mm head length demonstrated a positive, yet non-significant, trend along a similar trajectory to their congenerics with a high goodness of fit. On the other hand, individuals > 180 mm showed a high degree of scatter, with several specimens having pronounced left-biased asymmetry. We suspect that this dramatic change was due to a combination of ontogenetic niche shift, bigger home ranges, a greater susceptibility to negative anthropogenic influences, and/or a male bias in the bigger specimens sampled, but a larger sample size is required to determine if there is statistical significance in these intra-specific trends. Body asymmetry can reflect brain laterality, which may be a potential driver for the teeth asymmetry seen here. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers from Journal of Developmental Biology Reviewers)

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22 pages, 3887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Molybdenum Supplementation in the Form of Ammonium and Sodium Salts on Trophoblast Cell Physiology and Gene Expression In Vitro

by Vladimira Foteva, Joshua J. Fisher, Yixue Qiao and Roger Smith

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010008 - 5 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Molybdenum is an essential trace element sourced during pregnancy from the maternal diet. Studies regarding molybdenum have primarily focused on overexposure in animal and cell culture studies. The effects of molybdenum supplementation on placental function are unknown. An immortalised trophoblast cell line was [...] Read more.

Molybdenum is an essential trace element sourced during pregnancy from the maternal diet. Studies regarding molybdenum have primarily focused on overexposure in animal and cell culture studies. The effects of molybdenum supplementation on placental function are unknown. An immortalised trophoblast cell line was used to examine the placental cellular response to molybdenum in its bioavailable form as molybdate. Cells of the extravillous trophoblast first-trimester cell line HTR8-SVneo were cultured in complete cell media in the presence of 10 nM to 1 mM of ammonium molybdate or sodium molybdate. Following the addition of the molybdate salts, cell growth, viability, and several gene pathways were monitored. Sodium molybdate salt in doses from 10 nM to 1 mM did not affect cell growth or viability. Exposure to ammonium molybdate at a 1 mM concentration significantly decreased cell growth and viability (p < 0.05). Gene pathways involving molybdoenzyme expression, molybdenum cofactor synthesis, antioxidant response, and angiogenesis were affected following supplementation, although these effects differed depending on the dose and molybdate salt utilised. Molybdoenzyme activity was not affected by supplementation in a dose-dependent manner. The results indicate sodium molybdate is a more appropriate salt to use in vitro, as ammonium molybdate exposure reduced cell viability and growth and downregulated the expression of antioxidant genes NFE2L2 (p < 0.01), SOD1 (p < 0.001) and SOD2 (p < 0.001), suggestive of an inflammatory response. Sodium molybdate affected gene, protein, and activity levels of molybdoenzyme, antioxidant, and angiogenic molecules in vitro. This work demonstrates that sodium molybdate supplementation has pleiotropic effects in vitro and is well tolerated by placental cells at a range of nanomolar and micromolar concentrations. Full article

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5 pages, 159 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Ko et al. Timing of Mouse Molar Formation Is Independent of Jaw Length Including Retromolar Space. J. Dev. Biol. 2021, 9, 8

by Daisy (Jihyung) Ko, Tess Kelly, Lacey Thompson, Jasmene K. Uppal, Nasim Rostampour, Mark Adam Webb, Ning Zhu, George Belev, Prosanta Mondal, David M. L. Cooper and Julia C. Boughner

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010007 - 28 Feb 2025

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Abstract

There was an error in the original publication [...] Full article

13 pages, 1356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in the Intracellular Composition of Macro and Microminerals After Cryopreservation of the Rabbit Stem/Progenitor Cells

by Jaromír Vašíček, Andrej Baláži, Mária Tirpáková, Marián Tomka and Peter Chrenek

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010006 - 21 Feb 2025

Viewed by 537

Abstract

Cryopreservation is a widely used method for the long-term preservation of reproductive or somatic cells. It is known that this storage method may negatively affect cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, etc. However, there is a lack of information about whether cryostorage can alter the [...] Read more.

Cryopreservation is a widely used method for the long-term preservation of reproductive or somatic cells. It is known that this storage method may negatively affect cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, etc. However, there is a lack of information about whether cryostorage can alter the content of intracellular minerals. Therefore, we focused this study on the analysis of the mineral composition of living cells before and after long-term cold storage. Briefly, three different primary cell lines were established from rabbits as follows: endothelial progenitor cells from peripheral blood (EPCs), endothelial progenitor cells from bone marrow (BEPCs), and mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue (AT-MSCs), which were cultured until passage 3 prior to cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen. Samples from freshly cultured and frozen–thawed cells were mineralized and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for the content of minerals (macro: Ca, Na, K, and Mg, and micro: Zn, Fe, Cu, Al, Co, Mn, Sr, and Ni). After cryopreservation, we found significantly decreased content of K in frozen–thawed EPCs (p < 0.01) and BEPCs (p < 0.0001) and Ca in AT-MSCs (p < 0.05), while Na was increased in frozen–thawed BEPCs (p < 0.05). Concentrations of Fe and Al were reduced significantly in frozen–thawed EPCs (both p < 0.0001) and AT-MSCs (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). On the contrary, Fe and Al were elevated in frozen–thawed BEPCs (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01, respectively) together with Ni (p < 0.0001). In addition, decreased Zn (p < 0.05) was observed in cryopreserved AT-MSCs. In conclusion, the ICP-OES technique might be used to analyze the basic elemental composition of animal cells in fresh or frozen–thawed conditions. Nevertheless, additional studies are needed to reveal the possible impact of cryopreservation on cell fate by changing the content of intracellular minerals. Full article

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24 pages, 19401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CRISPR/Cas9-Targeted Myostatin Deletion Improves the Myogenic Differentiation Parameters for Muscle-Derived Stem Cells in Mice

by Mohamed I. Elashry, Victoria C. Schneider, Manuela Heimann, Sabine Wenisch and Stefan Arnhold

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010005 - 11 Feb 2025

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Abstract

Skeletal muscle plays a pivotal role in physical activity, protein storage and energy utilization. Skeletal muscle wasting due to immobilization, aging, muscular dystrophy and cancer cachexia has negative impacts on the quality of life. The deletion of myostatin, a growth and differentiation factor-8 [...] Read more.

Skeletal muscle plays a pivotal role in physical activity, protein storage and energy utilization. Skeletal muscle wasting due to immobilization, aging, muscular dystrophy and cancer cachexia has negative impacts on the quality of life. The deletion of myostatin, a growth and differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) augments muscle mass through hyperplasia and hypertrophy of muscle fibers. The present study examines the impact of myostatin deletion using CRISPR/Cas9 editing on the myogenic differentiation (MD) of C2C12 muscle stem cells. A total of five myostatin loci were targeted using guided RNAs that had been previously cloned into a vector. The clones were transfected in C2C12 cells via electroporation. The cell viability and MD of myostatin-edited clones (Mstn^−/−) were compared with C2C12 (Mstn^+/+) using a series of assays, including MTT, sulforhodamine B, immunocytochemistry, morphometric analysis and RT-qPCR. The clones sequenced showed evidence of nucleotides deletion in Mstn^−/− cells. Mstn^−/− cells demonstrated a normal physiological performance and lack of cytotoxicity. Myostatin depletion promoted the myogenic commitment as evidenced by upregulated MyoD and myogenin expression. The number of MyoD-positive cells was increased in the differentiated Mstn^−/− clones. The Mstn^−/− editing upregulates both mTOR and MyH expression, as well as increasing the size of myotubes. The differentiation of Mstn^−/− cells upregulates ActRIIb; in contrast, it downregulates decorin expression. The data provide evidence of successful CRISPR/Cas9-mediated myostatin deletion. In addition, targeting myostatin could be a beneficial therapeutic strategy to promote MD and to restore muscle loss. In conclusion, the data suggest that myostatin editing using CRISPR/Cas9 could be a potential therapeutic manipulation to improve the regenerative capacity of muscle stem cells before in vivo application. Full article

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38 pages, 3633 KiB

Open AccessReview

Utilizing C. elegans Spermatogenesis and Fertilization Mutants as a Model for Human Disease

by Sofia M. Perez, Helena S. Augustineli and Matthew R. Marcello

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010004 - 25 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1036

Abstract

The nematode C. elegans is a proven model for identifying genes involved in human disease, and the study of C. elegans reproduction, specifically spermatogenesis and fertilization, has led to significant contributions to our understanding of cellular function. Approximately 70 genes have been identified [...] Read more.

The nematode C. elegans is a proven model for identifying genes involved in human disease, and the study of C. elegans reproduction, specifically spermatogenesis and fertilization, has led to significant contributions to our understanding of cellular function. Approximately 70 genes have been identified in C. elegans that control spermatogenesis and fertilization (spe and fer mutants). This review focuses on eight genes that have human orthologs with known pathogenic phenotypes. Using C. elegans to study these genes has led to critical developments in our understanding of protein domain function and human disease, including understanding the role of OTOF (the ortholog of C. elegans fer-1) in hearing loss, the contribution of the spe-39 ortholog VIPAS39 in vacuolar protein sorting, and the overlapping functions of spe-26 and KLHL10 in spermatogenesis. We discuss the cellular function of both the C. elegans genes and their human orthologs and the impact that C. elegans mutants and human variants have on cellular function and physiology. Utilizing C. elegans to understand the function of the genes reviewed here, and additional understudied and undiscovered genes, represents a unique opportunity to understand the function of variants that could lead to better disease diagnosis and clinical decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans – a Model for Understanding Development and Disease)

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17 pages, 5922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neuronal Populations Involved in Motor Function Show Prominent Expression of Sbno1 During Postnatal Brain Development

by Sunjidmaa Zolzaya, Dai Ihara, Munkhsoyol Erkhembaatar, Shinsuke Ochiai, Ayaka Isa, Mariko Nishibe, Jean-Pierre Bellier, Takahiro Shimizu, Satoshi Kikkawa, Ryo Nitta and Yu Katsuyama

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010003 - 21 Jan 2025

Viewed by 2625

Abstract

Human genome studies have suggested that strawberry notch homologue 1 (SBNO1) is crucial for normal brain development, with mutations potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders. In a previous study, we observed significant developmental abnormalities in the neocortex of Sbno1 as early as [...] Read more.

Human genome studies have suggested that strawberry notch homologue 1 (SBNO1) is crucial for normal brain development, with mutations potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders. In a previous study, we observed significant developmental abnormalities in the neocortex of Sbno1 as early as one week after birth. In the present study, we conducted an extensive analysis of Sbno1 postnatal expression in the brain of C57BL/6 mice using a newly developed in-house polyclonal antibody against Sbno1. We found that Sbno1 is expressed in all neurons, with certain neuronal populations exhibiting distinct dynamic changes (both temporal and spatial) in expression level. These findings suggest that the neuronal expression of Sbno1 is developmentally regulated after birth. They also indicate that while Sbno1 may play a general role across all neurons, it may also serve more specialized functions in certain neuronal types and/or for certain cellular activities related to particular neuronal pathways. Full article

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12 pages, 3607 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Regeneration, Regengrow and Tissue Repair in Animals: Evolution Indicates That No Regeneration Occurs in Terrestrial Environments but Only Recovery Healing

by Lorenzo Alibardi

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010002 - 30 Dec 2024

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Abstract

The present, brief review paper summarizes previous studies on a new interpretation of the presence and absence of regeneration in invertebrates and vertebrates. Broad regeneration is considered exclusive of aquatic or amphibious animals with larval stages and metamorphosis, where also a patterning process [...] Read more.

The present, brief review paper summarizes previous studies on a new interpretation of the presence and absence of regeneration in invertebrates and vertebrates. Broad regeneration is considered exclusive of aquatic or amphibious animals with larval stages and metamorphosis, where also a patterning process is activated for whole-body regeneration or for epimorphosis. In contrast, terrestrial invertebrates and vertebrates can only repair injury or the loss of body parts through a variable “recovery healing” of tissues, regengrow or scarring. This loss of regeneration likely derives from the change in genomes during land adaptation, which included the elimination of larval stages and intense metamorphosis. The terrestrial conditions are incompatible with the formation of embryonic organs that are necessary for broad regeneration. In fact, no embryonic organ can survive desiccation, intense UV or ROS exposition on land, and rapid reparative processes without embryonic patterning, such as recovery healing and scarring, have replaced broad regeneration in terrestrial species. The loss of regeneration in land animals likely depends on the alteration of developmental gene pathways sustaining regeneration that occurred in progenitor marine animals. Terrestrial larval stages, like those present in insects among arthropods, only metamorphose using small body regions indicated as imaginal disks, a terrestrial adaptation, not from a large restructuring process like in aquatic-related animals. These invertebrates can reform body appendages only during molting, a process indicated as regengrow, not regeneration. Most amniotes only repair injuries through scarring or a variable recovery healing, occasionally through regengrow, the contemporaneous healing in conjunction with somatic growth, forming sometimes new heteromorphic organs. Full article

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14 pages, 13723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mesenchymal Traits as an Intrinsic Feature of Undifferentiated Cells

by Mirco Galiè

J. Dev. Biol. 2025, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb13010001 - 24 Dec 2024

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Abstract

Since its first conceptualization over a century ago, the mesenchymal phenotype has traditionally been viewed as either a transient phase between successive epithelial stages or as a feature of cell types primarily devoted to structural support. However, recent findings in cancer research challenge [...] Read more.

Since its first conceptualization over a century ago, the mesenchymal phenotype has traditionally been viewed as either a transient phase between successive epithelial stages or as a feature of cell types primarily devoted to structural support. However, recent findings in cancer research challenge this limited view, demonstrating that mesenchymal traits and hybrid mesenchymal/epithelial states can mark cancer cells with stem cell properties. By analyzing publicly available single-cell transcriptome datasets from early embryonic stages and adult tissues, this study aims to extend this concept beyond pathological contexts, suggesting that a partial or fully mesenchymal phenotype may represent the morphological expression of undifferentiated and multipotent states in both the developing embryo and adult organs. Full article

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J. Dev. Biol., Volume 13, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 9 articles

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