Ligands of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) superfamily of growth factors initiate
signal transduction through a bewildering complexity of ligand–receptor interactions …

Synapses, as fundamental units of the neural circuitry, enable complex behaviors. The
neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse type that forms between motoneurons and …

Chemical synapses are sites of contact and information transfer between a neuron and its
partner cell. Each synapse is a specialized junction, where the presynaptic cell assembles …

How morphogen gradients are formed in target tissues is a key question for understanding
the mechanisms of morphological patterning. Here, we review different mechanisms of …

Transforming growth factor betas (TGF-βs) are known as multifunctional growth factors that
participate in the regulation of key events of development, disease, and tissue repair. In the …

Stem cell niches provide resident stem cells with signals that specify their identity. Niche
signals act over a short range such that only stem cells but not their differentiating progeny …

Transcription factors are central to sustaining pluripotency, yet little is known about
transcription factor dynamics in defining pluripotency in the early mammalian embryo. Here …

In Drosophila, the larval neuromuscular junction is particularly tractable for studying how
synapses develop and function. In contrast to vertebrate central synapses, each presynaptic …

TGF-β-induced Smad signal transduction from the membrane into the nucleus is not linear
and unidirectional, but rather a dynamic network that couples Smad phosphorylation and …

Pancreatic cancer remains a grueling disease that is projected to become the second-
deadliest cancer in the next decade. Standard treatment of pancreatic cancer is …