EDITORIALS
- Spotlight on zebrafish: the next wave of translational research
Summary: Zebrafish are a highly versatile and relevant organism for human disease modelling. This Editorial highlights the recent zebrafish research published in DMM.
A MODEL FOR LIFE
FIRST PERSON
REVIEW
- Cardiac phenotype in mouse models of systemic autoimmunity
Summary: Cardiac complications are common in systemic autoimmunity, and mouse models are essential for mechanistic and therapeutic studies. Here, the authors present a decision framework to facilitate model choice for selected cardiac phenotypes in systemic autoimmunity.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Establishment of a zebrafish hematological disease model induced by 1,4-benzoquinone
Summary: Acute exposure to 1,4-benzoquinone leads to lineage-specific hematotoxicity in zebrafish from embryonic stages to adulthood, resembling benzene-induced cytopenia and myeloid dysplasia in humans.
- Individual components of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex have distinct roles in memory neurons of the Drosophila mushroom body
Summary: The SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex is the most over-represented protein complex in the intellectual disability. Different components of this complex have distinct roles in development and function of memory-forming neurons in the Drosophila mushroom body.
- Chronic otitis media is initiated by a bulla cavitation defect in the FBXO11 mouse model
Summary: FBXO11 is a candidate disease gene for otitis media in humans and the authors report that a bulla cavitation defect initiates otitis media in the Fbxo11Jf/+ mouse model.
- Integrative analysis of Paneth cell proteomic and transcriptomic data from intestinal organoids reveals functional processes dependent on autophagy
Editor's choice: Using an integrative approach encompassing intestinal organoid culture, proteomics, transcriptomics and protein-protein interaction networks, we list Paneth cell functions dependent on autophagy.
- The zebrafish orthologue of the human hepatocerebral disease gene MPV17 plays pleiotropic roles in mitochondria
Summary: The zebrafish mpv17−/− mutant shows a severe mitochondrial phenotype with ultrastructural alterations and oxidative phosphorylation impairment. The pyrimidine precursor orotic acid ameliorates mpv17−/− phenotype and increases mitochondrial DNA content, linking the loss of Mpv17 to pyrimidine de novo synthesis.
- Reverse genetic screen reveals that Il34 facilitates yolk sac macrophage distribution and seeding of the brain
Summary: Using a new reverse genetic screening method for zebrafish microglia development, involving automated image analysis, we identified that il34 facilitates yolk sac macrophage distribution to target organs, including the brain.
- BCL-3 promotes a cancer stem cell phenotype by enhancing β-catenin signalling in colorectal tumour cells
Summary: BCL-3 acts as a co-activator of β-catenin/TCF-mediated transcriptional activity, driving a stem-cell-like phenotype in colorectal cancer cells, with implications for tumour cell plasticity and therapeutic resistance.
- Early and late endothelial response in breast cancer metastasis in mice: simultaneous quantification of endothelial biomarkers using a mass spectrometry-based method
Summary: A microLC/MS-MRM-based approach for simultaneous determination of endothelium-related biomarkers identified glycocalyx disruption, endothelial inflammation and increased endothelial permeability as important events in early pulmonary metastasis in a murine model of breast cancer metastasis.
PREPRINT HIGHLIGHTS
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
First person – Zhaoyang, Omkara, Christine and Yong
Catch up with our first authors in the latest interviews. Zhaoyang Liu, Omkara Lakshmi Veeranki, Christine Lehner and Yong Chen discuss the implications of their research, life as an early-career researcher and their next steps.
A new resource article by Dipen Maru's group describes a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft model of gastroesphageal cancer that maintains the morphological and molecular characteristics of the source tumour.
There are still funded places available for early-career researchers at July’s Workshop on inflammaging and regeneration! The deadline for applications is 14 February. We’re also interested to hear your ideas for Workshops – find out more about how we can provide support.
The first preLight of 2020 and the first time we’ve highlighted a medRxiv preprint! Zhang-He Goh discusses a new preprint by Witte et al. assessing the correlation between ovarian cancer patient-derived organoids and patients’ clinical response to chemotherapeutics.
Cover article – Regulation of terminal hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation in Prmt5 mutant mice modeling infantile idiopathic scoliosis
On the cover, research by Liu et al. demonstrates that the loss of Prmt5 osteochondral progenitors impairs terminal hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation, leading to defects in endochondral bone formation and models infantile idiopathic scoliosis in mouse.