Adrenal glands are the major organs releasing catecholamines and regulating our stress response. The mechanisms balancing generation of adrenergic chromaffin cells and protecting against neuroblastoma tumors are still enigmatic. Here we revealed that serotonin (5HT) controls the numbers of chromaffin cells by acting upon their immediate progenitor “bridge” cells via 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 3A (HTR3A), and the aggressive HTR3A^high human neuroblastoma cell lines reduce proliferation in response to HTR3A-specific agonists. In embryos (in vivo), the physiological increase of 5HT caused a prolongation of the cell cycle in “bridge” progenitors leading to a smaller chromaffin population and changing the balance of hormones and behavioral patterns in adulthood. These behavioral effects and smaller adrenals were mirrored in the progeny of pregnant female mice subjected to experimental stress, suggesting a maternal-fetal link that controls developmental adaptations. Finally, these results corresponded to a size-distribution of adrenals found in wild rodents with different coping strategies.

Magnetic metal–organic frameworks suppress protein expression via antisense oligonucleotide delivery, allow magnetically-controlled gene expression tuning, show low toxicity, do not inhibit protein translation upon degradation in a cell-free system. The graphical abstract was created with BioRender.

Ciliated cells were found in the epithelium of the oral cavity of human embryos and fetuses starting from the seventh week of prenatal development. At the early stages of prenatal development (until the 13th week), cells with cilia cover most of the dorsal surface of the tongue and the soft palate, whereas they are found only near the gland ducts in the circumvallate and foliate lingual papillae after 17 weeks of development. The ultrastructure of the axoneme of cilia corresponds to the structure of motile cilia and is represented by nine microtubule doublets that surround the central pair of microtubule singlets. An immunohistochemical study performed on weeks 10–12 of development identified nerve endings associated with the ciliated cells. Until the 14th week of development, the cytoplasm of ciliated cells is immunopositive for NSE. The spatial distribution of ciliated cells in the tongue epithelium until the 13th week of development is not related to the morphogenesis of lingual papillae, and their role in the human oral cavity during the first trimester of pregnancy is unclear and requires further study.

The identification of tissue-specific promoters for gene therapeutic constructs is one of the aims of complex tumor therapy. The genes encoding the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) can function in tumor-associated stromal cells but are practically inactive in normal adult cells. Accordingly, the promoters of these genes can be used to develop vectors targeted to the tumor microenvironment. However, the efficiency of these promoters within genetic constructs remains underexplored, particularly, at the organism level. Here, we used the model of Danio rerio embryos to study the efficiency of transient expression of marker genes under the control of promoters of the FAP, CTGF, and immediate early genes of Human cytomegalovirus (CMV). Within 96 h after the injection of vectors, the CTGF and CMV promoters provided similar equal efficiency of reporter protein accumulation. In the case of the FAP promoter, a high level of reporter protein accumulation was observed only in certain zebrafish individuals that were considered developmentally abnormal. Disturbed embryogenesis was the factor of changes in the exogenous FAP promoter function. The data obtained make a significant contribution to understanding the function of the human CTGF and FAP promoters within vectors to assess their potential in gene therapy.

The diversity in the organization of the nervous system in mollusks raises intriguing questions about its development and evolution. Our study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how the nervous system forms in Mollusca by examining the involvement of SoxB-family transcription factors in the early development of neurogenic zones. Specifically, we explore the expression patterns of two SoxB genes in the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis , namely Ls-SoxB1 and Ls-SoxB2, across various developmental stages. Through a combination of in situ hybridization chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and proliferation assays, we examine the dynamic spatial distribution of Ls- SoxB1 and Ls-SoxB2, with a particular emphasis on the formation of central ring ganglia and the identification of active proliferative zones. Our findings reveal that Ls-SoxB1 exhibits expanded ectodermal expression from the gastrula to the postmetamorphic stage, evident at both transcriptional and translational levels. Throughout larval development, Ls-SoxB1 is expressed in the ectoderm of the head, foot, and visceral complex, as well as in ganglia anlagen and sensory cells. In contrast, the expression of Ls-SoxB2 in the ectoderm is observed until the veliger stage, after which it persists in subepithelial layer cells and ganglia rudiments. Proliferation assay reveals a uniform distribution of dividing cells in the ectoderm at all developmental stages, indicating the absence of distinct neurogenic zones with increased proliferation in gastropods. Our findings highlight that Ls-SoxB1 exhibit widespread expression patterns in both location and time compared to other Lophotrochozoa species. This prolonged expression of SoxB genes in gastropods can be interpreted as a form of transcriptional neoteny, playing a crucial role in the diversification of nervous systems. Thus, it serves as a preadaptation to prolonged neurogenesis and an increase in the central nervous system complexity in Mollusca.