The functions of the Snail family of zinc-finger transcription factors are essential during
embryonic development. One of their best-known functions is to induce epithelial to …

The lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) forms the progenitor cells that constitute the heart and
cardiovascular system, blood, kidneys, smooth muscle lineage and limb skeleton in the …

The Wnt gene family encodes secreted signalling molecules that control cell fate in animal
development and human diseases. Despite its significance, the evolution of this metazoan …

There is growing interest in the use of cnidarians (corals, sea anemones, jellyfish and
hydroids) to investigate the evolution of key aspects of animal development, such as the …

The concept of germ layers has been one of the foremost organizing principles in
developmental biology, classification, systematics and evolution for 150 years (refs,,). Of the …

Metastatic disease is responsible for the majority of human cancer deaths. Understanding
the molecular mechanisms of metastasis is a major step in designing effective cancer …

Aggressive cancer phenotypes are a manifestation of many different genetic alterations that
promote rapid proliferation and metastasis. In this study, we show that stable overexpression …

The endoderm gives rise to the lining of the esophagus, stomach and intestines, as well as
associated organs. To generate a functional intestine, a series of highly orchestrated …

The three germ layers—mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm—constituting the cellular
blueprint for the tissues and organs that will form during embryonic development, are …

One of the major questions in the evolution of animals is the transition from unicellular to
multicellular organization, which resulted in the emergence of Metazoa through a …