Advances in Developmental Biology – serie

The beginning of life may be a miracle to some, and a mystery to others, but it is certainly one of the most exciting and perhaps controversial fields of scientific investigation in the 21st century. Among the metazoa, life begins when an egg is fertilized by a sperm. The sperm provides a genetic blueprint from the father and perhaps some critical proteins. The egg provides a genetic blueprint from the mother together with a large reservoir of mRNAs and proteins that are required for DNA replication, cell division and the onset of zygotic gene expression. All of the thousands of genes in these two mature gametes are transcriptionally silent and remain so until fertilization.

This work focuses on three biological systems, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the current state of affairs, and the ability to identify common principles as well as critical differences that are responsible for beginning the process of animal development.

The essays presented will be of practical value to all those who are interested in improving fertilization in vitro, in designing novel methods of contraception, in developing preimplantation genetic diagnosis for various diseases, in cloning animals by transplanting nuclei from adult cells to an enucleated egg, and in the application of embryonic stem cells to curing genetic diseases or replacing damaged tissues. But above all, this volume is offered to those who simply have an insatiable curiosity about life and its beginnings.

The first homeobox gene was molecular cloned nearly two decades ago, and since that time tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of the distribution of homeobox genes in the genomes of many animal species and the common functional role the encoded homeodomains play in cell-type specification, morphogenesis and development.

The amino acid sequence of the homeodomain, as well as the presence of other conserved protein domains, has allowed the classification of homeodomain-containing proteins (homeoproteins) into over thirty separate families (e.g. Hox, Dlx, Msx, Otx, Hmx, Cdx etc.). In many cases a single gene has been shown to fully direct the morphogenesis and development of a complex tissue, organ or even an entire body segment. Yet how this "master" regulatory ability of homeoproteins functions at the molecular level to a large degree still remains a mystery, in part owing to our limited understanding of the nature of both homeoprotein transcriptional cofactors and even more elusively, the downstream targets of homeoprotein function.

In the reviews presented here it is limited primarily to what has been learned in vertebrate systems, principally focusing on the mouse, owing to the strengths of the technical approaches currently existing in murine developmental genetics that are not yet available to the same degree in other vertebrate species. Despite this mammalian predilection, a common thread to each of these reviews is the underlying importance of what has been learned about homeoprotein function in other animal species, particularly arthropods like Drosophila.

Cellular polarization is key to all cellular functions. Our perceptions, which are derived from our senses, depend on the proper cellular polarization of our sense organs, such as the eyes or ears. Much of this book examines the different aspects in cellular polarization and its researched role in the Drosophila, where the first planar cellular polarity (PCP) gene was discovered over 20 years ago. Topics also include: From flies to man: how we are polarized, Marking an embryo work, Cellular polarization at its functional best, Hearing and seeing your environment, and From a cell to an organ.This series represents timely issues in developmental biology. It provides annual reviews of selected topics, written from the perspectives of leading investigators in the field of development.* Presents many various organisms such as flies, fish, frogs and mice* Offers over 40 exceptional illustrations* First of its kind to include new data and detailed models on cell planar polarization

Extracellular matrix proteins are serious, common human diseases that are caused by mutations in genes that encode these proteins. This has spurred a great number of researchers to study the extracellular matrix, sometimes by choice and sometimes by necessity. Much progress has been made in the last decade towards understanding what matrix proteins do and how cells interact with and respond to them. Volume 15 is a compilation of reviews by experts in their respective fields. The chapters in this book address the biology of a broad spectrum of extracellular matrix molecules and their functions in development and disease. This book has been designed to focus on a diverse subset of matrix proteins that have been shown to be important for development, function, and disease. The book therefore both presents a broad view of the field and provides crucial details about some of the best-studied matrix molecules.* Written by leaders in the field* Discusses the potential of matrix components to be used as therapeutic tools for the treatment and prevention of cancer* Offers a section on integrin signaling and the development of the central nervous system, detailing the migration of neurons and the glia* Covers a diverse array of molecules such as laminins, collagens, heparan sulfate proteoglycans, integrins, and more

A superb compilation of reviews from leading experts in the field of nuclear receptors, volume 16 in the Advances in Developmental Biology series covers the role of different nuclear receptor subfamilies in development, physiology and metabolism. This volume brilliantly reviews how genetic defects in the function of nuclear receptors leads to various developmental defects. Receptors discussed include: thyroid receptors, peroxisome proliferators activated receptors, and retinoic acid receptors. Additionaly, this volume offers an indespesable chapter on the orphan receptors Ftz-F1, COUPs, and RORs in embryonic and postnatal development.* Provides a compilation of reviews of several nuclear receptor subfamilies - such as TRs, PPARs, RARs, the orphan receptors COUP-TFs, RORs, and Ftz-F1 in embryonic and postnatal development.* Offers a detailed section on retinoid receptor signaling * Covers the role of co-repressors and co-activators in modulation of nuclear receptor functions

A superb compilation of reviews from leading experts in the field of Wnt signaling (signaling molecules that regulate cell-to-cell interactions during embryogenesis), volume 17 in the Advances in Developmental Biology series offers 7 chapters, each devoted to a separate area of research on Wnt signaling. Written by specialists in the field, these chapters cover different levels of signaling, including: ligands, receptors, cytoplasmic and nuclear components of the pathway. This book discusses a number of model systems including mice, Drosophila, Xenopus, zebrafish, C. elegans, and mammalian cells. Together, these chapters review the available knowledge and will fill gaps in our understanding of this interesting network of cell signaling processes.* Includes two parts devoted to the canonical (beta-catenin dependent) and non-canonical branches of Wnt signalling to the cytoskeleton* Offers insight to large genomic data that are now available for the analysis of Wnt gene targets* Discusses regulators of the cytoskeleton such as small GTPAses of the Rho family, jun-N-terminal kinases and other MAP kinases, and proteins involved in the generation of cell polarity

In 1993, Rolf Bodmer described a gene he named tinman that was required for the formation of the dorsal aorta of the fly. Flies without a functional tinman gene had no heart. Quickly, mammalian counterparts of the tinman gene were identified and found to be expressed by early cardiomyogenic precursors and by cardiomyocytes throughout heart development. Since then, significant progress has been made in the understanding of molecular and genetic determinants of heart formation. An ever growing number of genes have been identified that are required for cardiogenesis, as evidenced by severe abnormalities in cardiac development produced by inactivation in the mouse or inhibition of gene function in other model organisms. Cardiovascular Development covers some of the latest research in the study of heart formation. Volume Editor Rolf Bodmer has assembled a world-class list of contributors whose research uses a variety of animal models and whose findings are certain to enhance our understanding of this exciting field.* Ties together the development of heart morphology and conduction system * The latest developments in vertebrate and invertebrate genetic model systems* Technological advancements in cardiovascular science

This series provides annual reviews of research topics in developmental biology/biochemistry, written from the perspectives of leading investigators in these fields. This volume of Advances in Developmental Biochemistry consists of seven chapters that review specific aspects of development in several different organisms including mollusks, flies and mice.