Special Issue "The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers"

A special issue of Journal of Developmental Biology (ISSN 2221-3759).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 5089

Special Issue Editor

Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Interests: birth defects; developmental basis of congenital and acquired cardiopulmonary diseases; neonatal lung alveolar septation; transgenic mouse modelling; cell lineage tracing; neural crest; fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition; extracellular matrix
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Journal of Developmental Biology (JDB) (ISSN 2221-3759), which is a peer-reviewed, open access journal on the development of multicellular organisms at the molecule, cell, tissue, organ, and whole-organism levels. The JDB has published over 299 papers by more than 935 authors, and nearly 515 reviewers have submitted at least one review report. We appreciate the contributions made by authors and reviewers, which have led to the continued success of our journal.

To celebrate this 10th anniversary, we are arranging a series of special content and events. We hope that you can join us in celebrating this milestone for our journal and enjoy the collection below.

To celebrate this significant milestone, a Special Issue, entitled “The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers”, has been launched. This Special Issue will include high-quality papers on topics within the broad scope of JDB. It is our pleasure to invite you to contribute an original research paper or comprehensive review article on a current, trending topic for peer review and possible publication in the JDB.

Prof. Dr. Simon J. Conway
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Developmental Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • development mechanisms and genetics
  • cell differentiation
  • embryonic development
  • tissue/organism growth
  • metamorphosis and regeneration
  • genetics/human genetics
  • cell biology in development
  • development of the nervous system
  • evolution of development
  • rare developmental disorders
  • rna mechanisms in development
  • transcriptomics, including single-cell rna-seq, for studies

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

Article
Regulation and Function of FOXC1 in Osteoblasts
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(3), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11030038 - 19 Sep 2023
Viewed by 398
Abstract
Estrogens, which bind to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), are important for proper bone mineral density. When women go through menopause, estrogen levels decrease, and there is a decrease in bone quality, along with an increased risk for fractures. We previously identified an enhancer [...] Read more.
Estrogens, which bind to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), are important for proper bone mineral density. When women go through menopause, estrogen levels decrease, and there is a decrease in bone quality, along with an increased risk for fractures. We previously identified an enhancer near FOXC1 as the most significantly enriched binding site for estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in osteoblasts. FOXC1 is a transcription factor belonging to a large group of proteins known as forkhead box genes and is an important regulator of bone formation. Here, we demonstrate that 17β-estradiol (E2) increases the mRNA and protein levels of FOXC1 in primary mouse and human osteoblasts. GATA4 is a pioneer factor for ERα and it is also recruited to enhancers near Foxc1. Knockdown of Gata4 in mouse osteoblasts in vitro decreases Foxc1 expression as does knockout of Gata4 in vivo. Functionally, GATA4 and FOXC1 interact and regulate osteoblast proteins such as RUNX2, as demonstrated by ChIP-reChIP and luciferase assays. The most enriched motif in GATA4 binding sites from ChIP-seq is for FOXC1, supporting the notion that GATA4 and FOXC1 cooperate in regulating osteoblast differentiation. Together, these data demonstrate the interactions of the transcription factors ERα, GATA4, and FOXC1 to regulate each other’s expression and other osteoblast differentiation genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Vasa, Piwi, and Pl10 Expression during Sexual Maturation and Asexual Reproduction in the Annelid Pristina longiseta
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11030034 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 573
Abstract
Naidids are tiny, transparent freshwater oligochaetes, which are well known for their ability to propagate asexually. Despite the fact that sexually mature individuals and cocoons with embryos are sometimes found in nature, in long-period laboratory cultures, worms reproduce agametically only. In this paper, [...] Read more.
Naidids are tiny, transparent freshwater oligochaetes, which are well known for their ability to propagate asexually. Despite the fact that sexually mature individuals and cocoons with embryos are sometimes found in nature, in long-period laboratory cultures, worms reproduce agametically only. In this paper, we showed, for the first time, the expression of Vasa, Piwi, and Pl10 homologs in mature Pristina longiseta worms with well-developed reproductive system structures and germ cells. Although the animals have been propagated asexually by paratomic fission for over 20 years in our lab, some individuals become sexualized under standard conditions for our laboratory culture and demonstrate various stages of maturation. The fully matured animals developed a complete set of sexual apparatus including spermatheca, atrium, seminal vesicles, and ovisac. They also had a clitellum and were able to form cocoons. The cues for the initiation of sexual maturation are still unknown for P. longiseta; nevertheless, our data suggest that the laboratory strain of P. longiseta maintains the ability to become fully sexually mature and to establish germline products even after a long period of agametic reproduction. On the other hand, many of the sexualized worms formed a fission zone and continued to reproduce asexually. Thus, in this species, the processes of asexual reproduction and sexual maturation do not preclude each other, and Vasa, Piwi, and Pl10 homologs are expressed in both somatic and germline tissue including the posterior growth zone, fission zone, nervous system, germline cells, and gametes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Jak2 and Jaw Muscles Are Required for Buccopharyngeal Membrane Perforation during Mouth Development
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11020024 - 31 May 2023
Viewed by 935
Abstract
The mouth is a central feature of our face, without which we could not eat, breathe, or communicate. A critical and early event in mouth formation is the creation of a “hole” which connects the digestive system and the external environment. This hole, [...] Read more.
The mouth is a central feature of our face, without which we could not eat, breathe, or communicate. A critical and early event in mouth formation is the creation of a “hole” which connects the digestive system and the external environment. This hole, which has also been called the primary or embryonic mouth in vertebrates, is initially covered by a 1–2 cell layer thick structure called the buccopharyngeal membrane. When the buccopharyngeal membrane does not rupture, it impairs early mouth functions and may also lead to further craniofacial malformations. Using a chemical screen in an animal model (Xenopus laevis) and genetic data from humans, we determined that Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) has a role in buccopharyngeal membrane rupture. We have determined that decreased Jak2 function, using antisense morpholinos or a pharmacological antagonist, caused a persistent buccopharyngeal membrane as well as the loss of jaw muscles. Surprisingly, we observed that the jaw muscle compartments were connected to the oral epithelium that is continuous with the buccopharyngeal membrane. Severing such connections resulted in buccopharyngeal membrane buckling and persistence. We also noted puncta accumulation of F-actin, an indicator of tension, in the buccopharyngeal membrane during perforation. Taken together, the data has led us to a hypothesis that muscles are required to exert tension across the buccopharyngeal membrane, and such tension is necessary for its perforation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Article
The Presence of Two MyoD Genes in a Subset of Acanthopterygii Fish Is Associated with a Polyserine Insert in MyoD1
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11020019 - 28 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
The MyoD gene was duplicated during the teleost whole genome duplication and, while a second MyoD gene (MyoD2) was subsequently lost from the genomes of some lineages (including zebrafish), many fish lineages (including Alcolapia species) have retained both MyoD paralogues. Here [...] Read more.
The MyoD gene was duplicated during the teleost whole genome duplication and, while a second MyoD gene (MyoD2) was subsequently lost from the genomes of some lineages (including zebrafish), many fish lineages (including Alcolapia species) have retained both MyoD paralogues. Here we reveal the expression patterns of the two MyoD genes in Oreochromis (Alcolapia) alcalica using in situ hybridisation. We report our analysis of MyoD1 and MyoD2 protein sequences from 54 teleost species, and show that O. alcalica, along with some other teleosts, include a polyserine repeat between the amino terminal transactivation domains (TAD) and the cysteine-histidine rich region (H/C) in MyoD1. The evolutionary history of MyoD1 and MyoD2 is compared to the presence of this polyserine region using phylogenetics, and its functional relevance is tested using overexpression in a heterologous system to investigate subcellular localisation, stability, and activity of MyoD proteins that include and do not include the polyserine region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

Review
Evolutionary Change in Gut Specification in Caenorhabditis Centers on the GATA Factor ELT-3 in an Example of Developmental System Drift
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11030032 - 08 Jul 2023
Viewed by 518
Abstract
Cells in a developing animal embryo become specified by the activation of cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks. The network that specifies the gut in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been the subject of study for more than two decades. In this network, the maternal [...] Read more.
Cells in a developing animal embryo become specified by the activation of cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks. The network that specifies the gut in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been the subject of study for more than two decades. In this network, the maternal factors SKN-1/Nrf and POP-1/TCF activate a zygotic GATA factor cascade consisting of the regulators MED-1,2 → END-1,3 → ELT-2,7, leading to the specification of the gut in early embryos. Paradoxically, the MED, END, and ELT-7 regulators are present only in species closely related to C. elegans, raising the question of how the gut can be specified without them. Recent work found that ELT-3, a GATA factor without an endodermal role in C. elegans, acts in a simpler ELT-3 → ELT-2 network to specify gut in more distant species. The simpler ELT-3 → ELT-2 network may thus represent an ancestral pathway. In this review, we describe the elucidation of the gut specification network in C. elegans and related species and propose a model by which the more complex network might have formed. Because the evolution of this network occurred without a change in phenotype, it is an example of the phenomenon of Developmental System Drift. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review
Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Drosophila Oocyte Determination
J. Dev. Biol. 2023, 11(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb11020021 - 24 May 2023
Viewed by 975
Abstract
Primary oocyte determination occurs in many organisms within a germ line cyst, a multicellular structure composed of interconnected germ cells. However, the structure of the cyst is itself highly diverse, which raises intriguing questions about the benefits of this stereotypical multicellular environment for [...] Read more.
Primary oocyte determination occurs in many organisms within a germ line cyst, a multicellular structure composed of interconnected germ cells. However, the structure of the cyst is itself highly diverse, which raises intriguing questions about the benefits of this stereotypical multicellular environment for female gametogenesis. Drosophila melanogaster is a well-studied model for female gametogenesis, and numerous genes and pathways critical for the determination and differentiation of a viable female gamete have been identified. This review provides an up-to-date overview of Drosophila oocyte determination, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms that regulate germ line gene expression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of JDB: Feature Papers)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Gene and microRNA regulatory mechanism in hypertelorism
Authors: Chihiro Iwaya1,2, Akiko Suzuki1,2, and Junichi Iwata1,2,3
Affiliation: 1 Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054 USA 2 Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054 USA 3 MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Back to TopTop