The formation of the primitive heart tube from cardiomyocytes and endocardial cells is a key event in mammalian development. Previous studies suggeste…

(Developmental Cell 59, 2626–2642.e1–e6; October 7, 2024)

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) triggers the activation of Snf1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) for adaptation to abiotic stress conditions. However, osmotic stress-induced ABA accumulation is slow while Ca2+ signals occur immediately. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Li et al. show that a subset of calcium-dependent kinases decode Ca2+ signals to directly control SnRK2 activation and thus

The hormone auxin regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. In a recent issue of Nature, Chen et al. report that an adenylate cyclase activity of auxin receptors promotes auxin-induced transcription activation. This suggests that the second messenger cAMP functions differently in plants than in other organisms.

In a recent issue of Science, Chen et al. and Lu et al. define a wheat immune module comprising tandem kinase (TK)-NLR protein pairs that recognize fungal effectors and activate defense responses. These findings reveal previously unknown immune signaling mechanisms and provide a foundation for engineering disease resistance through molecular breeding.

(Developmental Cell 19, 259–269; August 17, 2010)

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Banjac et al. integrate lineage tracing, single-cell RNA sequencing, and mathematical modeling to reveal that stem cells at the crypt base drive the decision between secretory and absorptive lineage commitment. Their findings highlight the central role of crypt-bottom Lgr5+ cells in maintaining intestinal epithelium homeostasis.

Understanding the functional regulatory landscape of maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) during early human embryo development remains a challenge. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Guo et al. assessed single-cell allele-specific transcriptomics from human preimplantation embryos and identified DPRX and ARGFX genes as pivotal factors whose hampered activation underlies cleavage-stage embryonic

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Yang et al. present an integrated experimental and computational platform that maps the spatiotemporal development of the human esophagus and predicts key signaling pathways governing epithelial differentiation. Their findings enable a xeno-free, scalable strategy for generating esophageal mucosa from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), demonstrating the power

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Huang et al. generate a library of C. elegans strains to systematically characterize germ granule composition. This survey catalogs condensate proteins in an intact organism using endogenous tags and sets the stage for future studies of condensate composition and function.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Lee et al. identify a pivotal role for glutathione (GSH) in plant regeneration, a vital biological process enabling plants to regrow tissues and organs after injury. Applying single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and live imaging, the authors demonstrate that GSH, released upon tissue damage, accelerates cell-cycle transitions, particularly shortening the G1 phase

Metabolic immunity is a powerful mechanism by which plants defend themselves. In a recent issue of Science, Miao et al. identify that erucamide, a primary fatty amide resulting from the condensation of the carboxy group of erucic acid with ammonia present in many plant species, inhibits type III injectisome assembly as an ancient conserved defense mechanism.

(Developmental Cell 60, ◼◼◼–◼◼◼; June 23, 2025)

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is considered a key therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this issue of Developmental Cell, Remy et al. challenge this idea by demonstrating that mTORC1 inhibition activates TFEB, promoting MT1-MMP exocytosis, ECM degradation, and increased cell invasion, especially when combined with chemotherapy.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent and oxidative form of non-apoptotic cell death with roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. Ferroptosis sensitivity can vary between cells, often for reasons that are not well understood. In this perspective, we describe the core ferroptosis mechanism and outline how changes in iron, redox, and lipid metabolism can alter ferroptosis sensitivity. We propose the

Pyroptosis, a lytic and programmed cell death pathway, is mediated by gasdermins (GSDMs), with GSDMD playing an important role in innate immunity and pathology. Upon activation, GSDMD is cleaved to release the active N-terminal fragment that oligomerizes into membrane pores, which promote pyroptosis and cytokine secretion, leading to inflammation. Emerging evidence indicates that post-translational

Transitional cell states are critical in lung injury repair, yet their dynamics in development have not been fully explored. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Ke et al. identify ICAM1+NKX2-1+ progenitors as key transitional cells conserved in the developing human and mouse lung, with plasticity toward generating both airway and alveolar progeny.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Salas-Escabillas et al. find that tuft cells undergo a tuft-to-neuroendocrine transition, switching from tumor suppressors to tumor promoters via c-Myc in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This result offers exciting insights into PDAC’s aggressiveness, therapy resistance, and high mortality.

The tectorial membrane extracellular matrix in the cochlea controls auditory transduction, but its earliest development remains unclear. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Niazi et al. have provided insight into tectorial membrane formation, demonstrating proteolytic shedding early in development and interaction with α-tectorin and collagen.

SUMOylation is a reversible post-translational modification that contributes to various biological processes in plants. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Zhang et al. show that covalent attachment of SUMO to PROPEP proteins promotes their proteolytic cleavage by metacaspase to release small signaling peptides (plant elictor peptides [PEPs]), triggering the release of the mature peptide in response