Pub Date : 2024-05-15DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-120242
Alice Cezanne, Sherman Foo, Yin-Wei Kuo, Buzz Baum
Since first identified as a separate domain of life in the 1970s, it has become clear that archaea differ profoundly from both eukaryotes and bacteria. In this review, we look across the archaeal domain and discuss the diverse mechanisms by which archaea control cell cycle progression, DNA replication, and cell division. While the molecular and cellular processes archaea use to govern these critical cell biological processes often differ markedly from those described in bacteria and eukaryotes, there are also striking similarities that highlight both unique and common principles of cell cycle control across the different domains of life. Since much of the eukaryotic cell cycle machinery has its origins in archaea, exploration of the mechanisms of archaeal cell division also promises to illuminate the evolution of the eukaryotic cell cycle.
{"title":"The Archaeal Cell Cycle.","authors":"Alice Cezanne, Sherman Foo, Yin-Wei Kuo, Buzz Baum","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-120242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-120242","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since first identified as a separate domain of life in the 1970s, it has become clear that archaea differ profoundly from both eukaryotes and bacteria. In this review, we look across the archaeal domain and discuss the diverse mechanisms by which archaea control cell cycle progression, DNA replication, and cell division. While the molecular and cellular processes archaea use to govern these critical cell biological processes often differ markedly from those described in bacteria and eukaryotes, there are also striking similarities that highlight both unique and common principles of cell cycle control across the different domains of life. Since much of the eukaryotic cell cycle machinery has its origins in archaea, exploration of the mechanisms of archaeal cell division also promises to illuminate the evolution of the eukaryotic cell cycle.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140943862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111323-102412
Byron Rusnak, Frances K Clark, Batthula Vijaya Lakshmi Vadde, Adrienne H K Roeder
One of the fundamental questions in developmental biology is how a cell is specified to differentiate as a specialized cell type. Traditionally, plant cell types were defined based on their function, location, morphology, and lineage. Currently, in the age of single-cell biology, researchers typically attempt to assign plant cells to cell types by clustering them based on their transcriptomes. However, because cells are dynamic entities that progress through the cell cycle and respond to signals, the transcriptome also reflects the state of the cell at a particular moment in time, raising questions about how to define a cell type. We suggest that these complexities and dynamics of cell states are of interest and further consider the roles signaling, stochasticity, cell cycle, and mechanical forces play in plant cell fate specification. Once established, cell identity must also be maintained. With the wealth of single-cell data coming out, the field is poised to elucidate both the complexity and dynamics of cell states.
{"title":"What Is a Plant Cell Type in the Age of Single-Cell Biology? It's Complicated.","authors":"Byron Rusnak, Frances K Clark, Batthula Vijaya Lakshmi Vadde, Adrienne H K Roeder","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111323-102412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111323-102412","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the fundamental questions in developmental biology is how a cell is specified to differentiate as a specialized cell type. Traditionally, plant cell types were defined based on their function, location, morphology, and lineage. Currently, in the age of single-cell biology, researchers typically attempt to assign plant cells to cell types by clustering them based on their transcriptomes. However, because cells are dynamic entities that progress through the cell cycle and respond to signals, the transcriptome also reflects the state of the cell at a particular moment in time, raising questions about how to define a cell type. We suggest that these complexities and dynamics of cell states are of interest and further consider the roles signaling, stochasticity, cell cycle, and mechanical forces play in plant cell fate specification. Once established, cell identity must also be maintained. With the wealth of single-cell data coming out, the field is poised to elucidate both the complexity and dynamics of cell states.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140896865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-113326
Yoon-Mo Yang, Katrin Karbstein
Ribosomes synthesize protein in all cells. Maintaining both the correct number and composition of ribosomes is critical for protein homeostasis. To address this challenge, cells have evolved intricate quality control mechanisms during assembly to ensure that only correctly matured ribosomes are released into the translating pool. However, these assembly-associated quality control mechanisms do not deal with damage that arises during the ribosomes' exceptionally long lifetimes and might equally compromise their function or lead to reduced ribosome numbers. Recent research has revealed that ribosomes with damaged ribosomal proteins can be repaired by the release of the damaged protein, thereby ensuring ribosome integrity at a fraction of the energetic cost of producing new ribosomes, appropriate for stress conditions. In this article, we cover the types of ribosome damage known so far, and then we review the known repair mechanisms before surveying the literature for possible additional instances of repair.
{"title":"Ribosome Assembly and Repair.","authors":"Yoon-Mo Yang, Katrin Karbstein","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-113326","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-113326","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ribosomes synthesize protein in all cells. Maintaining both the correct number and composition of ribosomes is critical for protein homeostasis. To address this challenge, cells have evolved intricate quality control mechanisms during assembly to ensure that only correctly matured ribosomes are released into the translating pool. However, these assembly-associated quality control mechanisms do not deal with damage that arises during the ribosomes' exceptionally long lifetimes and might equally compromise their function or lead to reduced ribosome numbers. Recent research has revealed that ribosomes with damaged ribosomal proteins can be repaired by the release of the damaged protein, thereby ensuring ribosome integrity at a fraction of the energetic cost of producing new ribosomes, appropriate for stress conditions. In this article, we cover the types of ribosome damage known so far, and then we review the known repair mechanisms before surveying the literature for possible additional instances of repair.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140896863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-115334
Daniel J Cosgrove
Expansins comprise an ancient group of cell wall proteins ubiquitous in land plants and their algal ancestors. During cell growth, they facilitate passive yielding of the wall's cellulose networks to turgor-generated tensile stresses, without evidence of enzymatic activity. Expansins are also implicated in fruit softening and other developmental processes and in adaptive responses to environmental stresses and pathogens. The major expansin families in plants include α-expansins (EXPAs), which act on cellulose-cellulose junctions, and β-expansins, which can act on xylans. EXPAs mediate acid growth, which contributes to wall enlargement by auxin and other growth agents. The genomes of diverse microbes, including many plant pathogens, also encode expansins designated expansin-like X. Expansins are proposed to disrupt noncovalent bonding between laterally aligned polysaccharides (notably cellulose), facilitating wall loosening for a variety of biological roles.
{"title":"Plant Cell Wall Loosening by Expansins.","authors":"Daniel J Cosgrove","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-115334","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111822-115334","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Expansins comprise an ancient group of cell wall proteins ubiquitous in land plants and their algal ancestors. During cell growth, they facilitate passive yielding of the wall's cellulose networks to turgor-generated tensile stresses, without evidence of enzymatic activity. Expansins are also implicated in fruit softening and other developmental processes and in adaptive responses to environmental stresses and pathogens. The major expansin families in plants include α-expansins (EXPAs), which act on cellulose-cellulose junctions, and β-expansins, which can act on xylans. EXPAs mediate acid growth, which contributes to wall enlargement by auxin and other growth agents. The genomes of diverse microbes, including many plant pathogens, also encode expansins designated expansin-like X. Expansins are proposed to disrupt noncovalent bonding between laterally aligned polysaccharides (notably cellulose), facilitating wall loosening for a variety of biological roles.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140896836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-112122-023316
Daniel A. Michelson, Diane Mathis
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) generate immunological self-tolerance by ectopically expressing peripheral-tissue antigens (PTAs) within the thymus to preview the peripheral self to maturing T cells. Recent work, drawing inspiration from old histological observations, has shown that subtypes of mTECs, collectively termed mimetic cells, co-opt developmental programs from throughout the organism to express biologically coherent groups of PTAs. Here, we review key aspects of mimetic cells, especially as they relate to the larger contexts of molecular, cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology. We highlight lineage-defining transcription factors as key regulators of mimetic cells and speculate as to what other factors, including Aire and the chromatin potential of mTECs, permit mimetic cell differentiation and function. Last, we consider what mimetic cells can teach us about not only the thymus but also other tissues.
{"title":"Thymic Mimetic Cells: Ontogeny as Immunology","authors":"Daniel A. Michelson, Diane Mathis","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-112122-023316","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-112122-023316","url":null,"abstract":"Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) generate immunological self-tolerance by ectopically expressing peripheral-tissue antigens (PTAs) within the thymus to preview the peripheral self to maturing T cells. Recent work, drawing inspiration from old histological observations, has shown that subtypes of mTECs, collectively termed mimetic cells, co-opt developmental programs from throughout the organism to express biologically coherent groups of PTAs. Here, we review key aspects of mimetic cells, especially as they relate to the larger contexts of molecular, cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology. We highlight lineage-defining transcription factors as key regulators of mimetic cells and speculate as to what other factors, including Aire and the chromatin potential of mTECs, permit mimetic cell differentiation and function. Last, we consider what mimetic cells can teach us about not only the thymus but also other tissues.","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120123-105748
Hong Huang, Shaorong Gao, Min Bao
Embryonic development is a dynamic process orchestrated by a delicate interplay of biochemical and biophysical factors. While the role of genetics and biochemistry in embryogenesis has been extensively studied, recent research has highlighted the significance of mechanical regulation in shaping and guiding this intricate process. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the mechanical regulation of embryo development. We explore how mechanical forces generated by cells and tissues play a crucial role in driving the development of different stages. We examine key morphogenetic processes such as compaction, blastocyst formation, implantation, and egg cylinder formation, and discuss the mechanical mechanisms and cues involved. By synthesizing the current body of literature, we highlight the emerging concepts and open questions in the field of mechanical regulation. We aim to provide an overview of the field, inspiring future investigations and fostering a deeper understanding of the mechanical aspects of embryo development.
{"title":"Exploring Mechanical Forces Shaping Self-Organization and Morphogenesis During Early Embryo Development","authors":"Hong Huang, Shaorong Gao, Min Bao","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120123-105748","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120123-105748","url":null,"abstract":"Embryonic development is a dynamic process orchestrated by a delicate interplay of biochemical and biophysical factors. While the role of genetics and biochemistry in embryogenesis has been extensively studied, recent research has highlighted the significance of mechanical regulation in shaping and guiding this intricate process. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the mechanical regulation of embryo development. We explore how mechanical forces generated by cells and tissues play a crucial role in driving the development of different stages. We examine key morphogenetic processes such as compaction, blastocyst formation, implantation, and egg cylinder formation, and discuss the mechanical mechanisms and cues involved. By synthesizing the current body of literature, we highlight the emerging concepts and open questions in the field of mechanical regulation. We aim to provide an overview of the field, inspiring future investigations and fostering a deeper understanding of the mechanical aspects of embryo development.","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16Epub Date: 2023-08-04DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022823-013847
Kaustubh Wagh, Diana A Stavreva, Arpita Upadhyaya, Gordon L Hager
Cells must tightly regulate their gene expression programs and yet rapidly respond to acute biochemical and biophysical cues within their environment. This information is transmitted to the nucleus through various signaling cascades, culminating in the activation or repression of target genes. Transcription factors (TFs) are key mediators of these signals, binding to specific regulatory elements within chromatin. While live-cell imaging has conclusively proven that TF-chromatin interactions are highly dynamic, how such transient interactions can have long-term impacts on developmental trajectories and disease progression is still largely unclear. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the dynamic nature of TF functions, starting with a historical overview of early live-cell experiments. We highlight key factors that govern TF dynamics and how TF dynamics, in turn, affect downstream transcriptional bursting. Finally, we conclude with open challenges and emerging technologies that will further our understanding of transcriptional regulation.
{"title":"Transcription Factor Dynamics: One Molecule at a Time.","authors":"Kaustubh Wagh, Diana A Stavreva, Arpita Upadhyaya, Gordon L Hager","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022823-013847","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022823-013847","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cells must tightly regulate their gene expression programs and yet rapidly respond to acute biochemical and biophysical cues within their environment. This information is transmitted to the nucleus through various signaling cascades, culminating in the activation or repression of target genes. Transcription factors (TFs) are key mediators of these signals, binding to specific regulatory elements within chromatin. While live-cell imaging has conclusively proven that TF-chromatin interactions are highly dynamic, how such transient interactions can have long-term impacts on developmental trajectories and disease progression is still largely unclear. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the dynamic nature of TF functions, starting with a historical overview of early live-cell experiments. We highlight key factors that govern TF dynamics and how TF dynamics, in turn, affect downstream transcriptional bursting. Finally, we conclude with open challenges and emerging technologies that will further our understanding of transcriptional regulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9936367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022723-024045
Bastian T Eichenberger, Esther Griesbach, Jessica Mitchell, Jeffrey A Chao
Recent advances in single-molecule imaging of mRNAs in fixed and living cells have enabled the lives of mRNAs to be studied with unprecedented spatial and temporal detail. These approaches have moved beyond simply being able to observe specific events and have begun to allow an understanding of how regulation is coupled between steps in the mRNA life cycle. Additionally, these methodologies are now being applied in multicellular systems and animals to provide more nuanced insights into the physiological regulation of RNA metabolism.
{"title":"Following the Birth, Life, and Death of mRNAs in Single Cells.","authors":"Bastian T Eichenberger, Esther Griesbach, Jessica Mitchell, Jeffrey A Chao","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022723-024045","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022723-024045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent advances in single-molecule imaging of mRNAs in fixed and living cells have enabled the lives of mRNAs to be studied with unprecedented spatial and temporal detail. These approaches have moved beyond simply being able to observe specific events and have begun to allow an understanding of how regulation is coupled between steps in the mRNA life cycle. Additionally, these methodologies are now being applied in multicellular systems and animals to provide more nuanced insights into the physiological regulation of RNA metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41231863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16Epub Date: 2023-06-20DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120420-103941
Enfu Hui
Cell-cell communication is critical for the development and function of multicellular organisms. A crucial means by which cells communicate with one another is physical interactions between receptors on one cell and their ligands on a neighboring cell. Trans ligand:receptor interactions activate the receptor, ultimately leading to changes in the fate of the receptor-expressing cells. Such trans signaling is known to be critical for the functions of cells in the nervous and immune systems, among others. Historically, trans interactions are the primary conceptual framework for understanding cell-cell communication. However, cells often coexpress many receptors and ligands, and a subset of these has been reported to interact in cis and profoundly impact cell functions. Cis interactions likely constitute a fundamental, understudied regulatory mechanism in cell biology. Here, I discuss how cis interactions between membrane receptors and ligands regulate immune cell functions, and I also highlight outstanding questions in the field.
{"title":"<i>Cis</i> Interactions of Membrane Receptors and Ligands.","authors":"Enfu Hui","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120420-103941","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120420-103941","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cell-cell communication is critical for the development and function of multicellular organisms. A crucial means by which cells communicate with one another is physical interactions between receptors on one cell and their ligands on a neighboring cell. <i>Trans</i> ligand:receptor interactions activate the receptor, ultimately leading to changes in the fate of the receptor-expressing cells. Such <i>trans</i> signaling is known to be critical for the functions of cells in the nervous and immune systems, among others. Historically, <i>trans</i> interactions are the primary conceptual framework for understanding cell-cell communication. However, cells often coexpress many receptors and ligands, and a subset of these has been reported to interact in <i>cis</i> and profoundly impact cell functions. <i>Cis</i> interactions likely constitute a fundamental, understudied regulatory mechanism in cell biology. Here, I discuss how <i>cis</i> interactions between membrane receptors and ligands regulate immune cell functions, and I also highlight outstanding questions in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10042891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16Epub Date: 2023-07-12DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-012023-014003
Pavani Ponnimbaduge Perera, David Perez Guerra, Misty R Riddle
Our understanding of cell and developmental biology has been greatly aided by a focus on a small number of model organisms. However, we are now in an era where techniques to investigate gene function can be applied across phyla, allowing scientists to explore the diversity and flexibility of developmental mechanisms and gain a deeper understanding of life. Researchers comparing the eyeless cave-adapted Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, with its river-dwelling counterpart are revealing how the development of the eyes, pigment, brain, cranium, blood, and digestive system evolves as animals adapt to new environments. Breakthroughs in our understanding of the genetic and developmental basis of regressive and constructive trait evolution have come from A. mexicanus research. They include understanding the types of mutations that alter traits, which cellular and developmental processes they affect, and how they lead to pleiotropy. We review recent progress in the field and highlight areas for future investigations that include evolution of sex differentiation, neural crest development, and metabolic regulation of embryogenesis.
{"title":"The Mexican Tetra, <i>Astyanax mexicanus,</i> as a Model System in Cell and Developmental Biology.","authors":"Pavani Ponnimbaduge Perera, David Perez Guerra, Misty R Riddle","doi":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-012023-014003","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-cellbio-012023-014003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our understanding of cell and developmental biology has been greatly aided by a focus on a small number of model organisms. However, we are now in an era where techniques to investigate gene function can be applied across phyla, allowing scientists to explore the diversity and flexibility of developmental mechanisms and gain a deeper understanding of life. Researchers comparing the eyeless cave-adapted Mexican tetra, <i>Astyanax mexicanus</i>, with its river-dwelling counterpart are revealing how the development of the eyes, pigment, brain, cranium, blood, and digestive system evolves as animals adapt to new environments. Breakthroughs in our understanding of the genetic and developmental basis of regressive and constructive trait evolution have come from <i>A. mexicanus</i> research. They include understanding the types of mutations that alter traits, which cellular and developmental processes they affect, and how they lead to pleiotropy. We review recent progress in the field and highlight areas for future investigations that include evolution of sex differentiation, neural crest development, and metabolic regulation of embryogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":7944,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of cell and developmental biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10131745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}