In this issue of Developmental Cell, Huang et al. generate a library of C. elegans strains to systematically characterize germ granule composition. This survey catalogs condensate proteins in an intact organism using endogenous tags and sets the stage for future studies of condensate composition and function.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Lee et al. identify a pivotal role for glutathione (GSH) in plant regeneration, a vital biological process enabling plants to regrow tissues and organs after injury. Applying single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and live imaging, the authors demonstrate that GSH, released upon tissue damage, accelerates cell-cycle transitions, particularly shortening the G1 phase

Metabolic immunity is a powerful mechanism by which plants defend themselves. In a recent issue of Science, Miao et al. identify that erucamide, a primary fatty amide resulting from the condensation of the carboxy group of erucic acid with ammonia present in many plant species, inhibits type III injectisome assembly as an ancient conserved defense mechanism.

(Developmental Cell 60, ◼◼◼–◼◼◼; June 23, 2025)

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is considered a key therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this issue of Developmental Cell, Remy et al. challenge this idea by demonstrating that mTORC1 inhibition activates TFEB, promoting MT1-MMP exocytosis, ECM degradation, and increased cell invasion, especially when combined with chemotherapy.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent and oxidative form of non-apoptotic cell death with roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. Ferroptosis sensitivity can vary between cells, often for reasons that are not well understood. In this perspective, we describe the core ferroptosis mechanism and outline how changes in iron, redox, and lipid metabolism can alter ferroptosis sensitivity. We propose the

Pyroptosis, a lytic and programmed cell death pathway, is mediated by gasdermins (GSDMs), with GSDMD playing an important role in innate immunity and pathology. Upon activation, GSDMD is cleaved to release the active N-terminal fragment that oligomerizes into membrane pores, which promote pyroptosis and cytokine secretion, leading to inflammation. Emerging evidence indicates that post-translational

Transitional cell states are critical in lung injury repair, yet their dynamics in development have not been fully explored. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Ke et al. identify ICAM1+NKX2-1+ progenitors as key transitional cells conserved in the developing human and mouse lung, with plasticity toward generating both airway and alveolar progeny.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Salas-Escabillas et al. find that tuft cells undergo a tuft-to-neuroendocrine transition, switching from tumor suppressors to tumor promoters via c-Myc in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This result offers exciting insights into PDAC’s aggressiveness, therapy resistance, and high mortality.

The tectorial membrane extracellular matrix in the cochlea controls auditory transduction, but its earliest development remains unclear. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Niazi et al. have provided insight into tectorial membrane formation, demonstrating proteolytic shedding early in development and interaction with α-tectorin and collagen.

SUMOylation is a reversible post-translational modification that contributes to various biological processes in plants. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Zhang et al. show that covalent attachment of SUMO to PROPEP proteins promotes their proteolytic cleavage by metacaspase to release small signaling peptides (plant elictor peptides [PEPs]), triggering the release of the mature peptide in response

Regulation of immunity is critical to balance growth and defense signaling. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Zhou et al. investigate two antagonistic receptors, SYR1 and SYR2, that control the growth-defense trade-off in plants. This work advances our understanding of the plant receptor kinase network in terms of molecular signaling and evolution of a feedback-based regulatory mechanism.

Human organoids are a widely used tool in cell biology to study homeostatic processes, disease, and development. The term organoids covers a plethora of model systems from different cellular origins that each have unique features and applications but bring their own challenges. This review discusses the basic principles underlying organoids generated from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as well as those

Despite limited translational capacity, senescent cells trigger inflammation by upregulating the translation and secretion of proinflammatory factors. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Kim et al. identify that altered autophagy and SFPQ-dependent EIF4H splicing during senescence redirects translation to promote inflammation, informing therapeutic strategies for cancer and other age-related diseases

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Tang et al. identify CD74high neutrophils as a subpopulation promoted by IL-8 in the tumor microenvironment of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). These CD74high neutrophils support anti-tumor T cell responses and enhance the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and targeted therapy in NSCLC.

(Developmental Cell 60, 1–12.e1–e7; March 10, 2025)

Genetic mutations cause colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, but their contribution to metastasis and therapy resistance is less clear. In a recent issue of Nature, Moorman et al.1 use single-cell transcriptome sequencing to map the changes in cancer cell state (cell phenotypes) that occur through CRC progression.

(Developmental Cell 60, 1–17.e1–e8; April 21, 2025)