Top 7 in developmental biology

Check out the hottest papers in developmental biology and related fields, as ranked by F1000

Written byBob Grant

| 3 min read

1. Mechanotransduction proteins foundA family of proteins, called Piezos, has been identified as important players in mechanically activated ion channels, which make possible several senses, such hearing, touch and pain sensation.

Mouse cell nuclei.
Image: Lothar Schermelleh via Wikimedia

T.G. Brott, et al., __N Engl J Med__, 363:11-23, 2010. Evaluations by Felix Viana, UMH Instituto de Neurociencias; Paul Garrity, Brandeis Univ; Bernd Nilius, KU Leuven. Free F1000 Evaluation2. Better nuclei isolationResearchers have developed a streamlined method for tagging and purifying nuclei from specific cell types in vivo, facilitating gene expression and chromatin-modification analyses across a variety of tissue types. The technique uses a nuclear envelope-targeting sequence that fuses to biotin ligase recognition peptide expressed in the target cell. R.B. Deal and S. Henikoff, __Dev Cell__, 18:1030-40, 2010. Evaluations by Eric Lam, Rutgers Univ; Daniel Chamovitz, Tel Aviv Univ; Kay Schneitz, Technische Universitat Munchen; Paul Kaufman, U Mass Med School. Free F1000 Evaluation3. Translation goes localProtein synthesis is a complicated game, but for the first time researchers have shown direct interaction between a transmembrane receptor, called DCC, with translational machinery in neurons, a step that likely facilitates localized protein manufacture.J. Tcherkezian, et al., __Cell__, 141:632-44, 2010. Evaluations by Kristen Kwan and Chi-Bin Chien, Univ Utah; Jacki Heraud and Michael Kiebler, Ctr for Brain Res, Med Univ Vienna, Austria; Wes Kroeze and Bryan Roth, Univ North Carolina; Luc Desgroseillers, Univ Montreal, Canada; Linda Columbus, Univ Virginia. Free F1000 Evaluation4. Guidance proteins in actionResearchers have finally described the detailed crystal structure of signaling proteins, called semaphorins, interacting with their receptors (plexins), affording insights that may help target drugs to ailing nervous, cardiovascular or immune systems, where the binding partners regulate development and functioning.H. Liu, et al., __Cell__, 142:749-61, 2010. Evaluations by Yuxiao Wang and Xuewu Zhang, Univ of Tex Southwestern Med Ctr; Prasanta Hota and Matthias Buck, Case Western Res Univ; Guido Serini and Giulio Gabbiani, Univ Geneva. Free F1000 Evaluation5. Hear and now

Colored scanning electron micrograph
of a section through the human inner ear.
©G. Brederg/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Researchers coaxed embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed adult mouse cells into becoming the sensory hair cells that normally reside in the mammalian inner ear, thus demonstrating the steps necessary to regenerate the notoriously irreplaceable regulators of hearing and balance.K. Oshima, et al., __Cell__, 141:704-16, 2010. Evaluations by Nicolas Daudet and Azel Zine, INSERM U583; Ajay Chitnis, NICHD/NIH; Andy Groves, Baylor Coll of Med. Free F1000 Evaluation6. What makes embryos so stiffUsing a novel combination of techniques, researchers gained a deeper understanding of the role of microtubules, actomyosin contractions, and a group of enzymes known as Rho family GTPases in regulating the stiffness of frog embryos, an important step in morphogenesis.J. Zhou et al., __Development__, 137:2785-94, 2010. Evaluation by John Wallingford, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Ronen Zaidel-Bar, National Univ. of Singapore; Michel Labouesse, Centre National de la Reserche Scientifique, France. Free F1000 Evaluation7. Epigenetics in mindThe body's tendency to silence the expression of one parental allele in favor of the other -- a practice known as genomic imprinting -- is much more widespread than scientists have believed, according to a new genome-wide study in mice. Surprisingly, more than 1300 genes in the mouse brain appear to exhibit "parent-of-origin" epigenetic effects.C. Gregg, et al., __Science__, 329:643-8, 2010. Evaluations by Joachim Messing, Rutgers Univ; Yoshiho Ikeuchi and Azad Bonni, Harvard Med Sch; David Sweatt, Univ Alabama at Birmingham. Free F1000 EvaluationThe F1000 Top 7 is a snapshot of the highest ranked articles from a 30-day period on Faculty of 1000 Developmental Biology, as calculated on September 30, 2010. Faculty Members evaluate and rate the most important papers in their field. To see the latest rankings, search the database, and read daily evaluations, visit linkurl:http://f1000.com.;http://beta.f1000.com/
**__Related stories:__***linkurl:Parental biases influence brain;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57548/%5D
[8th July 2010]*linkurl:Full Speed Ahead;http://www.the-scientist.com/2009/12/1/26/1/
[December 2009]*linkurl:A Channel at Large;http://www.the-scientist.com/2007/11/1/34/1/
[November 2007]*linkurl:Home-grown inner ear cells;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/53625/
[25th September 2007]

Meet the Author

Bob Grant

From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.

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