Region-specific skin appendage phenotypes enable animals to meet diverse environmental and functional demands, yet the molecular basis of this specialization remains incompletely understood. Feathers vary markedly in size and shape across the avian b...
The 2026 Barth Syndrome International Scientific, Medical & Family Conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, Florida, USA, from 19th to 25th July 2026 with scientific programming beginning 22nd July. This biennial ev...
It has been hypothesized that a lack of dioxygen could be the trigger of hatching. Here we address the question of whether developmental heterochronies could be an indirect way to study adaptation to lack of dioxygen. To answer this question, we aim...
Embryonic kidney morphogenesis depends on the coordinated communication among ureteric epithelium, nephron progenitors, stroma, endothelium and differentiating nephrons. Classical studies established central roles for glial cell line-derived neurotro...
Pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor 3 (PBX3) is a TALE homeodomain protein involved in neural development, but its function in oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation has remained unexplored. Here, we show that PBX3 expression is dynamically regula...
Hemostasis and wound healing are highly coordinated processes that involve rapid clot formation followed by controlled remodeling of the injured tissue microenvironment. Prior work on Akhirin (AKH), a secreted extracellular matrix protein containing...
Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare, X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutations in the enzyme TAFAZZIN (TAZ), resulting in insufficient cardiolipin (CL) remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction. While BTHS respiratory distress and breathing difficulti...
This study evaluates ChromaLIVETM, a multichromatic, mix-and-read fluorescent marker developed for continuous live-cell imaging, in the context of embryology. The aim was to evaluate whether this marker is compatible with dynamic embryonic developmen...
The regulation of transcriptional activity constitutes a primary layer of control over cellular function across diverse tissues and cell types. This regulatory transcriptional landscape is largely governed by epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA and...
Connecting the intestinal vasculature with the pre-existing systemic circulatory system is vital for nutrient absorption and blood transport for detoxification in the liver. However, the cellular processes underlying this connection remain unclear. U...
Both genetics and the environment affect the phenotypes of polycystic kidney diseases (PKD), such as autosomal dominant (AD) PKD, autosomal recessive (AR) PKD and nephronophthisis (NPH). Variable phenotypes, pleiotropy, divergent severity and progres...
Based on updated information on tail regeneration in lizards, a hypothesis is introduced to explain why these reptiles evolved their regenerative ability. The hypothesis, supported by paleontological evidence, considers tail regeneration associated w...
Warfarin is a coumarin-derived oral anticoagulant widely used for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders, particularly in patients with mechanical heart valves. The drug exerts its anticoagulant effect by inhibiting vitamin K epoxid...
Background/Objectives: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing enables efficient generation of knockout mouse models; however, frameshift mutations do not always result in complete loss of function. The factors influencing functional inactivation followi...
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) are a large family of potassium channels composed of 40 members across 12 subtypes. The KCNH genes encode three subfamilies of voltage-gated potassium channels: Kv10 (EAG, ether à go go), Kv11 (ERG, EAG-re...
Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) provides essential signals for macrophage and osteoclast proliferation, differentiation, and survival, but the roles of CSF1R+ macrophages and osteoclasts during limb morphogenesis are understudied. Here,...
Valproic acid (VPA) is a human developmental toxicant that causes neural tube defects and neurobehavioral deficits. Recent work has implicated VPA-induced oxidative stress in cell models of neurodifferentiation, where oxidative post-translational mod...
Regulation of the cell cycle is critical for maintaining genomic integrity. Therefore, cells have adapted several mechanisms to ensure that cell cycle events occur in a precise order. Some mechanisms regulate cell cycle progression by inhibiting cell...
Epigenetic regulation is pivotal in reproductive processes, such as oocyte maturation and pre-implantation embryonic development, and it impacts gene expression without altering DNA sequence through mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modif...
The gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in modulating multiple physiological processes from the earliest stages of life. However, the complete scope of its effects during childhood is yet to be fully elucidated, which underscores the importance of en...
Background: Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are the only immunocompetent cells within the stroma of chorionic villi and play a key role in immune regulation and placental development throughout gestation. Their phenotype, abundance, and proliferative activity...
Lung organogenesis is orchestrated by dynamic epithelial–mesenchymal interactions during embryogenesis, yet the gene regulatory programs and signaling dynamics governing these processes in the pseudoglandular stage remain incompletely understoo...
The proportion of spermatozoa with progressive motility is widely used to evaluate the quality of a single ejaculate. However, the cellular and physiological mechanisms underlying this trait remain unclear. The present study examined the association...
In osteopetrotic mice with homozygous inactivating mutations in the colony stimulating factor 1 (Csf1op/op) or its receptor (Csf1r−/−) gene, teeth fail to erupt due to severe reduction in osteoclastogenesis. Dental abnormalities have been...
Microtia–atresia is a rare craniofacial malformation primarily affecting the first and second pharyngeal arches, leading to the deformity of the auricle and atresia of the external ear canal. Its etiology is heterogenous and largely unknown, in...
The poly(A) tail has long been known to play a central role in mRNA stability, storage, and translational competence, making it a potential key regulator during hypometabolic states. During seasonal torpor, hibernating mammals must frequently enter t...
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the loss of maternal UBE3A expression, leading to disrupted proteostasis and synaptic dysfunction. Adenosine is a ubiquitous neuromodulator whose G protein-coupled receptors (ARs) regu...
Feto-maternal microchimerism (Mc) refers to the exchange of cells between the fetus and mother, and fetal–fetal Mc to the exchange between fetuses during pregnancy. This phenomenon occurs across mammalian species, including humans, mice, and ca...
Background/Objectives: Growing evidence indicates that melatonin contributes to kidney development and function, while disruptions of fetal circadian signaling have been linked to congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). This stu...
Ribosomes are widely recognized as large intracellular macromolecular complexes responsible for protein synthesis. However, in recent years, numerous studies have revealed that ribosomal proteins possess non-canonical functions beyond translation, in...
Mammals and reptiles possess a metanephric kidney as the terminal renal organ for homeostasis of solutes and waste products. The development of the metanephric kidney has primarily been studied in mammalian model systems. Little is known about the co...
Serotonin is a critical morphogen in early development, yet the mechanisms regulating its homeostasis in the preimplantation embryo remain unclear, particularly under conditions of maternal antidepressant exposure. Here, we investigated embryonic ser...
Bone tissue is among the most commonly transplanted tissues worldwide. The treatment of critical-sized bone defects remains a significant challenge, as there is currently no universally accepted experimental model or therapeutic standard. Recent adva...
Transcriptional regulation is pivotal for developmental processes and cell fate specification in homeostasis. One particularly relevant group of transcription factors is the sine oculis homeobox (SIX) family, which is involved in a wide range of mole...
Development and maintenance of complex tissues depends on a number of coordinated steps from early development through adulthood. These processes are fundamentally controlled by highly regulated gene expression patterns. Although critical contributor...
Extant birds and the earliest dinosaurs may share fundamental metabolic features essential for aerobic exercise, suggesting that the extraordinary physical performance typical of avian species originated when dinosaurs first appeared during the Carni...
The Neuroblastoma Breakpoint Family (NBPF) consists of 23 genes, 9 of which are pseudogenes, and is characterized by extensive duplication events and species-specific diversification in Homo sapiens, as well as by the presence of a unique protein dom...
Craniofacial development is orchestrated by a finely regulated interplay of numerous genes and signaling pathways. Palatogenesis proceeds through a complex, stepwise process, in which endogenous mechanical stresses within tissues have been implicated...
VESTIGIAL-LIKE proteins constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins that act as cofactors in regulating gene expression through their binding to TEAD transcription factors. Among the four members of this family in vertebrates, VESTIGIAL-...
Lampbrush chromosomes (LBCs) are a feature of amphibian oocytes and are typically associated with high levels of transcription during active oocyte growth. However, their state during winter hibernation has not been studied. Here, we investigated LBC...
Cumulus cells (CCs) are a distinct population of granulosa cells (GCs) that surround the developing and ovulated mammalian oocyte. The features of their structural organization and the expression pattern of key genes significantly affect oocyte viabi...
Obstructive uropathy (OU) during fetal development induces a fetal cystic dysplastic kidney. The mechanisms of cyst formation and the onset of renal dysfunction remain unclear. Determining whether nephrogenic potential persists during fetal life may...
Erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) originate from the haemogenic endothelium in the yolk sac via an endothelial-to-haematopoietic transition (EHT) to generate blood and immune cells that support embryo development. Yet, the transitory nature of EHT a...
Maternal nutrition during gestation profoundly influences fetal growth, organogenesis, and long-term offspring performance through developmental programming. Among the molecular mechanisms responsive to maternal nutrient availability, one-carbon meta...
Mutations in the transcriptional co-factor HCFC1 cause methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinemia, cblX type (cblX) (MIM#309541), non-syndromic X-linked intellectual disability (XLID), and focal epilepsy. Zebrafish studies have revealed increased acti...
The epithelial egg tooth is used by birds to open the eggshell for hatching. This ectodermal structure consists of a multilayered periderm and a hard cornified portion, the caruncle or actual egg tooth. Here, we determined the protein composition of...
Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) disorders, including placenta accreta, increta, and percreta, are serious obstetric conditions characterized by abnormal placental adherence to the uterine wall. With increasing incidence, PAS poses significant risks,...
Background. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) induces maternal hyperglycemia, which may alter fetal cardiac structure and function, increasing short- and long-term cardiovascular risks. Purpose. To systematically review the evidence on the fetal ca...
Observations of the processes of oogenesis, fertilization, and the earliest embryonic development have given us the opportunity to estimate the importance of chromosomal distribution errors for the success of mammalian reproduction. It is now known t...
Autophagy has a potential regulatory effect on spermatogenesis and testicular development. Dynamic alterations in the testicular autophagy of prepubertal mice were analyzed, and the relationship between autophagy levels and testicular development was...
