The WIRS motifs in Fat2 are required for Drosophila egg chamber rotation but not for elongation.

The elongation of tissues and organs is important for proper morphogenesis in animal development. In Drosophila ovaries, the elongation of egg chambers involves aligned Collagen IV fiber-like structures, a gradient of extracellular matrix stiffness and actin-based protrusion-driven collective cell migration, leading to the rotation of the egg chamber. Egg chamber elongation and rotation depend on the atypical cadherin Fat2.

A more elaborate genetic clock for clonal species.

The genetic clock is a well-established tool used in evolutionary biology for estimating divergence times between species, individuals, or cells based on DNA sequence changes. Yu et al. have revisited the clock to make it applicable to clonal multicellular organisms that expand through asexual reproduction mechanisms, enabling more comprehensive evolutionary tracking.

AdamTS proteases control basement membrane heterogeneity and organ shape in Drosophila.

The basement membrane (BM) is an extracellular matrix that plays important roles in animal development. A spatial heterogeneity in composition and structural properties of the BM provide cells with vital cues for morphogenetic processes such as cell migration or cell polarization. Here, using the Drosophila egg chamber as a model system, we show that the BM becomes heterogeneous during development, with a reduction in Collagen IV density at the posterior pole and differences in the micropattern of aligned fiber-like structures.