Animal Developmental and Reproductive Biology

Animal developmental and reproductive biology encompasses the cellular, molecular and tissue-level events that transform a single fertilised cell into a fully formed adult capable of reproduction. Key processes include oogenesis, fertilisation, embryogenesis, organogenesis and gametogenesis, all orchestrated by precise gene regulatory networks, intercellular signalling and dynamic cytoskeletal rearrangements. These programmes ensure not only the correct spatial and temporal expression of developmental genes but also the integrity of tissue patterning, morphogenesis and the establishment of reproductive competence. Advances in high-resolution imaging, single-cell transcriptomics and functional genomics have begun to uncover the fine-grained mechanisms by which transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers and membrane-associated complexes coordinate cell fate decisions, tissue architecture and germ cell maturation. Together, these findings illuminate the fundamental principles that underlie lifelong fertility, species-specific reproductive strategies and the capacity for adaptive variation in developmental trajectories.

Research from Nature Portfolio

New evidence has revealed that the MYC–MAX heterodimer is indispensable for the major wave of zygotic genome activation in mouse embryos. Inhibition of MYC function specifically at the late two-cell stage suppresses the onset of embryonic transcription and arrests development, demonstrating a stage-specific requirement for this transcriptional regulator in establishing totipotency and progressing through preimplantation stages.

High-quality tissue-specific transcriptomes from the stony coral Fimbriaphyllia ancora have delineated gene expression profiles across distinct polyp tissues—tentacles, mesenterial filaments, body wall and mouth with pharynx. Each tissue exhibits specialised expression of defence-related, digestive or biomineralisation-associated genes, providing a molecular “recipe” for coral polyp function and offering a resource to dissect symbiosis, neurobiology and biomineral formation in reef-building species.

Studies of Drosophila tracheal tubulogenesis have uncovered how anisotropic mechanical stress drives the assembly of periodic circumferential actin cables. Sparse actin nanoclusters respond to luminal expansion-induced tension by fusing preferentially along the circumference, a process dependent on the formin DAAM and myosin II. These findings support a model in which stress-responsive nanoclusters serve as organisational units for higher-order cytoskeletal structures that stabilise tubular epithelia.

Animal Developmental and Reproductive Biology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in animal developmental and reproductive biology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA): Onset of transcription from the embryonic genome, marking the transition from maternal RNA control to embryo-driven gene expression during early development.

Dimerization: The association of two identical protein monomers to form a functional complex, often triggering conformational changes and signalling events.

Transcriptomic profiling: High-throughput analysis of global gene expression patterns in cells or tissues, typically by RNA sequencing.

Tubulogenesis: The morphogenetic process by which epithelial cells generate a hollow tubular structure, involving coordinated cell shape changes and lumen formation.

Actin nanocluster: A small aggregate of actin filaments that can fuse under mechanical cues to form larger cytoskeletal structures, such as circumferential cables.

Apical extracellular matrix (aECM): A specialised luminal meshwork of proteins and polysaccharides secreted by epithelial cells that regulates tube diameter, stiffness and morphogenesis.

References

1. MYC–MAX heterodimerization is essential for the induction of major zygotic genome activation and subsequent preimplantation development. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Genome and tissue-specific transcriptomes of the large-polyp coral, Fimbriaphyllia (Euphyllia) ancora: a recipe for a coral polyp. Communications Biology (2024).
3. Emergence of periodic circumferential actin cables from the anisotropic fusion of actin nanoclusters during tubulogenesis. Nature Communications (2024).
4. Gap junctions allow transfer of metabolites between germ cells and somatic cells to promote germ cell growth in the Drosophila ovary. PLOS Biology (2025).
5. SMAD4 promotes somatic-germline contact during murine oocyte growth. eLife (2024).
6. Polycomb repressive complex 1 modulates granulosa cell proliferation in early folliculogenesis to support female reproduction. Theranostics (2024).