Derry WB (2023) FEBS J "Role of developmental pathways in disease."

Derry WB

[FEBS J, 2023]

Developmental programs are tightly regulated networks of molecular and cellular signaling pathways that orchestrate the formation and organization of tissues and organs during organismal development. However, these programs can be disrupted or activated in an untimely manner, or in the wrong tissues, and this can lead to a host of diseases. This aberrant re-activation can occur due to a multitude of factors, including genetic mutations, environmental influences, or epigenetic modifications. Consequently, cells may undergo abnormal growth, differentiation, or migration, leading to structural abnormalities or functional impairments at the tissue or organismal level. This Subject Collection of The FEBS Journal on Developmental Pathways in Disease highlights 11 reviews and three research articles that cover a broad array of topics focused on the role of signaling pathways critical for normal development that are deregulated in human disease.

Hickson GRX (2022) J Cell Biol "A back-up source of microtubules for the midbody during cytokinesis."

Hickson GRX

[J Cell Biol, 2022]

During cytokinesis, microtubules become compacted into a dense midbody prior to abscission. Using genetic perturbations and imaging of C. elegans zygotes, Hirsch et al. (2022. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202011085) uncover an unexpected source of microtubules that can populate the midbody when central spindle microtubules are missing.

Corsi AK et al. (2015) Genetics "A Transparent Window into Biology: A Primer on Caenorhabditis elegans."

Corsi AK, Chalfie M, Wightman B

[Genetics, 2015]

A little over 50 years ago, Sydney Brenner had the foresight to develop the nematode (round worm) Caenorhabditis elegans as a genetic model for understanding questions of developmental biology and neurobiology. Over time, research on C. elegans has expanded to explore a wealth of diverse areas in modern biology including studies of the basic functions and interactions of eukaryotic cells, host-parasite interactions, and evolution. C. elegans has also become an important organism in which to study processes that go awry in human diseases. This primer introduces the organism and the many features that make it an outstanding experimental system, including its small size, rapid life cycle, transparency, and well-annotated genome. We survey the basic anatomical features, common technical approaches, and important discoveries in C. elegans research. Key to studying C. elegans has been the ability to address biological problems genetically, using both forward and reverse genetics, both at the level of the entire organism and at the level of the single, identified cell. These possibilities make C. elegans useful not only in research laboratories, but also in the classroom where it can be used to excite students who actually can see what is happening inside live cells and tissues.