Patterns across Developmental Scales

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 939

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Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
Interests: genetics; gene expression; cell biology; cancer biology; cell death
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Cancer Genetics & Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory Department of Molecular Biomedicine Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-CSIC Ramiro de Maeztu, 9 E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: biology of adult stem cells; cancer stem cells; cancer treatment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Curiously, morphological patterns can greatly differ across temporal and spatial biological scales. The bricks of life, the cells, assemble into morphological structures with a plethora of sizes and shapes. The same machinery builds patterned biological units such as wings and legs or hearts and brains. However, precise and specific cell assembling can define biological function and shape. In recent years, we have started to understand the mechanisms via which, phenotypically and spatially, cells build up functionally biological patterns and shapes. Physical forces and main pathways are involved in this game, yet the biology and physics behind these macro and micro developmental scales remain largely unknown. Understanding patterning from a multidisciplinary approach will unveil the functional bases behind different shapes across biological scales.

This Special Issue is an open multidisciplinary discussion aiming to collect current knowledge regarding the mechanisms driving patterning and organ shape, including research papers, reviews, and communications covering the cell biology and biophysical aspects behind different biological shapes.

Dr. Marisa M. Merino
Dr. José A. García-Sanz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • patterning
  • organ
  • cells
  • differentiation
  • proliferation
  • death
  • biophysics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 6235 KiB  
Article
Tissue-Level Integration Overrides Gradations of Differentiating Cell Identity in Beetle Extraembryonic Tissue
by Katie E. Mann and Kristen A. Panfilio
Cells 2024, 13(14), 1211; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13141211 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 444
Abstract
During animal embryogenesis, one of the earliest specification events distinguishes extraembryonic (EE) from embryonic tissue fates: the serosa in the case of the insects. While it is well established that the homeodomain transcription factor Zen1 is the critical determinant of the serosa, the [...] Read more.
During animal embryogenesis, one of the earliest specification events distinguishes extraembryonic (EE) from embryonic tissue fates: the serosa in the case of the insects. While it is well established that the homeodomain transcription factor Zen1 is the critical determinant of the serosa, the subsequent realization of this tissue’s identity has not been investigated. Here, we examine serosal differentiation in the beetle Tribolium castaneum based on the quantification of morphological and morphogenetic features, comparing embryos from a Tc-zen1 RNAi dilution series, where complete knockdown results in amnion-only EE tissue identity. We assess features including cell density, tissue boundary morphology, and nuclear size as dynamic readouts for progressive tissue maturation. While some features exhibit an all-or-nothing outcome, other key features show dose-dependent phenotypic responses with trait-specific thresholds. Collectively, these findings provide nuance beyond the known status of Tc-Zen1 as a selector gene for serosal tissue patterning. Overall, our approach illustrates how the analysis of tissue maturation dynamics from live imaging extends but also challenges interpretations based on gene expression data, refining our understanding of tissue identity and when it is achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Patterns across Developmental Scales)
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