Editorial highlights

Every organism is a model organism for understanding development, evolution, disease, and regeneration, and we have only begun to scratch the surface of the interdisciplinary genetic, molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms that regulate these biological processes. These “Highlights” denote exciting advances recently reported in Developmental Dynamics that illustrate the complex dynamics of developmental biology.

Xenopus Biology. “19th International Xenopus Conference Meeting Report: Latest Developments and Future Perspectives” by Coral Zhou and Saurabh Kulkarni, Dev Dyn 253:2, pp. 272-276. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.693. The African clawed frog, Xenopus, has been foundational for establishing key principles in developmental biology. This meeting report describes the latest advances in cell biology and differentiation, mechanobiology, evolution and regeneration, genomics and disease, as well as development of new tools, ensuring Xenopus will remain a cornerstone in diverse areas of biological research.

Neurobiology of Wound Healing and Regeneration. “Neural dependency in wound healing and regeneration” by Alexandra Noble, Rozana Qubrosi, Solsa Cariba, Kayla Favaro, and Samantha Payne, Dev Dyn 253:2, pp. 181-203. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.650. Following injury, tissue repair may involve fibrosis and scarring, or regeneration and the restoration of normal architecture and function. In the animal kingdom, despite a bias for tissue repair rather than regeneration, a growing body of evidence supports the crucial role of innervation in tissue repair and regeneration. In fact, peripheral nerves are involved in almost all aspects, including re-epithelialization, extracellular matrix remodeling, blastema formation, and organ regeneration. This review evaluates the current state of our knowledge and understanding of the roles of peripheral nerves in various types of wound healing and regeneration, and the need to bridge the gap between basic findings and translational work. A combination of new tools, techniques, and data available to study nerve dependency has set the stage for novel discovery and advances in the neurobiology of wound healing and regeneration.

Skeletal Development. “Vertebral pattern and morphology is determined during embryonic segmentation” by Kevin Serra, Christina Vyzas, Sarah Shehreen, Iris Chipendo, Katherine Clifford, Daniel Youngstrom, and Stephen Devoto, Dev Dyn 253:2, pp. 204-214. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.649. Vertebrates are named for the repeated pattern of segmented bones, vertebrae, that constitute their vertebral column, and the relationship between segmented vertebra and muscle in adults is well known. This spatial periodicity and organization is established by paired segments of paraxial mesoderm known as somites, during embryogenesis, and defects in embryonic segmentation result in disorders of the spine. This study reveals that heat stress and misregulation of segmentation genes during embryogenesis, transiently disrupts the formation and spacing of segment borders, which are critical for determining the length of vertebrae, as well as the position of fusions and divisions between adjacent vertebrae and ribs. Disrupting segment borders subsequently manifest as vertebral anomalies that persist through adulthood.

Extracellular Matrix and Organogenesis. “Multi-organ phenotypes in mice lacking Latent TGFb Binding Protein 2 (LTBP2)” by Nicholas Bodmer, Russell Knutsen, Robyn Roth, Ryan Castile, Michael Brodt, Carrie Gierasch, Thomas Broekelmann, Mark Gibson, Jeffrey Haspel, Spencer Lake, Steven Brody, Matthew Silva, Robert Mecham, and David Ornitz, Dev Dyn 253:2, pp. 233-254. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.651. The extracellular matrix (ECM) comprises a complex network of proteins and macromolecules that provide cells and tissues with structure, while also underpinning their strength and elasticity. Microfibrils are a critical component of the ECM, as they function both as a scaffold and binding partner for other matrix proteins, but they also sequester and store growth factors, particularly of the TGFβ superfamily. This study focuses on latent transforming growth factor β binding proteins and primarily LBTP2, which is broadly expressed throughout mammalian embryo development. The authors generated a new Ltbp2^−/− mouse model, which survives into adulthood but exhibits weakened ciliary zonule fibers, which erupt over time, leading to ectopia lentis, or displacement of the lens. Human mutations in LTBP2 are associated with primary congenital glaucoma, microspherophakia, and a recessive form of Weill–Marchesani syndrome (type 3), and this study proposes that LTBP2 may have yet unidentified roles in tissue repair or regeneration.