REVIEWS
- Building bridges, not walls: spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish
Summary: Unlike mammals, teleost fish are capable of efficient, spontaneous recovery after a paralyzing spinal cord injury. Here, we highlight the major events through which laboratory model zebrafish regenerate spinal cord tissue.
- Modeling human epigenetic disorders in mice: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Silver-Russell syndrome
Summary: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) can be caused by various (epi)genetic lesions leading to the dysregulation of genomic imprinting. This Review focuses on the mouse models used to understand how such perturbations contribute to the human BWS/SRS phenotypes.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Genetic activation of Nrf2 reduces cutaneous symptoms in a murine model of Netherton syndrome
Summary: Nrf2 activation ameliorates the epidermal barrier defect and cutaneous inflammation in a mouse model of Netherton syndrome, suggesting the utility of NRF2-activating compounds in patients with this genetic disease.
- Loss of PRSS56 function leads to ocular angle defects and increased susceptibility to high intraocular pressure
Summary: This study reports a novel role of PRSS56 in the proper developmental positioning of ocular drainage tissues, establishing it as an important genetic factor involved in iridocorneal angle configuration and intraocular pressure homeostasis.
- Activated pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes induce hypertension following high-fructose intake in Dahl salt-sensitive but not Dahl salt-resistant rats
Summary: Activation of pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes induces hypertension after high-fructose intake in salt-sensitive rats. Immune activation plays an important role in the development of hypertension, whereas immune tolerance is protective against hypertension.
- Deficiency in the endocytic adaptor proteins PHETA1/2 impairs renal and craniofacial development
Editor's choice: The functions of two endocytic adaptor proteins, PHETA1/2, are determined using zebrafish mutants and a potentially disease-causing variant of human PHETA1. Findings suggest essential roles in craniofacial and renal development.
- Deterioration of muscle force and contractile characteristics are early pathological events in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy mice
Summary: Research on the AR100 mouse model of spinal and bulbarmuscular atrophy shows that disease manifests first in skeletal muscle, before motor neuron degeneration, which only occurs in the late stage of disease.
- Temperature-sensitive spinal muscular atrophy-causing point mutations lead to SMN instability, locomotor defects and premature lethality in Drosophila
Summary: Using animal models of spinal muscular atrophy, we describe a novel disease mechanism caused by temperature-sensitive protein unfolding/instability of the Tudor domain of SMN.
- Diverse dystonin gene mutations cause distinct patterns of Dst isoform deficiency and phenotypic heterogeneity in Dystonia musculorum mice
Summary: This paper describes the mechanism by which diverse dystonin gene mutations result in phenotypic heterogeneity in neural and cutaneous tissues of Dystonia musculorum mice.
- Genetic predisposition for increased red blood cell distribution width is an early risk factor for cardiovascular and renal comorbidities
Summary: Our study pinpoints a quantitative trait locus for red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and provides a novel genetic rat model mimicking the clinical association of increased RDW with poor cardio-renal outcome.
- The transcription factor Nurr1 is upregulated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and SOD1-G93A mice
Summary: We hypothesize that the transcription factor Nurr1 is activated in the early phase of the neurodegenerative disease amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), probably as a neuroprotective endogenous mechanism. Nurr1 might represent a promising target for ALS therapy.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
DMM and COVID-19
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on researchers worldwide. The Editors of all The Company of Biologists’ journals have been considering ways in which we can alleviate concerns that members of our community may have around publishing activities during this time. Read about the actions we are taking at this time.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Editorial Office if you have any questions or concerns.
Professor Elizabeth Patton appointed as DMM’s next Editor-in-Chief
We are pleased to announce that The Company of Biologists directors have appointed Professor Elizabeth Patton as DMM's new Editor-in-Chief. As Paresh Vyas writes in his Editorial, Liz ‘brings vitality and a passion for the remit of DMM, and is deeply embedded in the community.’
Did you know DMM Conference Travel Grants can be used for online meetings?
With travel restrictions still in place, we want to continue supporting early-career researchers in their careers. DMM’s Conference Travel Grants can now be used to attend virtual and online scientific meetings, workshops, conferences and training courses.
The current application round closes on 8 February 2021 – find out more.
Identification of MYOM2 as a candidate gene in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Tetralogy of Fallot, and its functional evaluation in the Drosophila heart
Research from Silke Sperling and colleagues uses Drosophila to identify MYOM2 as a candidate gene in congenital heart malformations in this issue’s Editor’s choice.
C. elegans as a disease model
A new Research article from Doyle et al., models spinal muscular atrophy in C. elegans to show that that targeting therapies to muscle cells is more effective than neuronal delivery. Find more research using C. elegans as a disease model in our latest subject collection.
Call for papers – The RAS Pathway: Diseases, Therapeutics and Beyond
Our upcoming special issue is now welcoming submissions until 1 April 2021. Guest-edited by Donita Brady (Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, USA) and Arvin Dar (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA), the issue will focus on the targeting the RAS pathway. Find out more about the issue and how to submit your manuscript.
Interview – Kim Landry-Truchon and Nicolas Houde
In an interview, first authors Kim Landry-Truchon and Nicolas Houde discuss their mouse model of the early stages of pleuropulmonary blastoma, reflecting on the implications of their work and the future of their field.