Live imaging and genetic analyses revealed that notochord vacuoles play a critical role in spine morphogenesis by absorbing vertebral bone growth, thus implicating notochord mechanics in congenital scoliosis.
Research carried out in the simple chordate Ciona has elucidated the regulatory interplay between two evolutionarily conserved transcription factors, Brachyury and Xbp1, and has shed new light on their roles in the formation of the notochord.
Héctor Sánchez-Iranzo, Aliaksandr Halavatyi, Alba Diz-Muñoz
Interaction strength in Notch signaling determines lateral inhibition patterning and drives fate in the unidimensional cell arrangement of the zebrafish notochord.
Laura Lleras Forero, Rachna Narayanan ... Stefan Schulte-Merker
In contrast to amniotes, zebrafish (ray-finned fish, teleost) centra are formed from specialised notochord sheath cells, and the segmental patterning of these cells is independent of the segmentation clock.
Erin Newman-Smith, Matthew J Kourakis ... William C Smith
Planar cell polarity (PCP) components and myosin show a parallel temporal polarization in the Ciona notochord and the mutual interaction between these proteins is required for proper tissue-wide polarity.
David R Shook, Eric M Kasprowicz ... Raymond Keller
Blastopore closure in Xenopus is driven by two morphogenic mechanisms that have strongly context dependent effects on tissue movement and that generate tensile force across tissues: convergent extension, as expected, and, unexpectedly, convergent thickening.
David Kimelman, Natalie L Smith ... Didier YR Stainier
Analysis of a double mutant in the Hippo pathway transcription factors Yap1 and Wwtr1 reveals novel roles for these factors in posterior body formation and epidermal morphogenesis in the vertebrate embryo.