The emergence of Sox and POU transcription factors predates the origins of animal stem cells.

Stem cells are a hallmark of animal multicellularity. Sox and POU transcription factors are associated with stemness and were believed to be animal innovations, reported absent in their unicellular relatives. Here we describe unicellular Sox and POU factors.

Core planar cell polarity genes and in predisposition to congenital vertebral malformations.

Congenital scoliosis (CS), affecting approximately 0.5 to 1 in 1,000 live births, is commonly caused by congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) arising from aberrant somitogenesis or somite differentiation. While Wnt/ß-catenin signaling has been implicated in somite development, the function of Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling in this process remains unclear.

Coronaviruses exploit a host cysteine-aspartic protease for replication.

Highly pathogenic coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (refs. ) (SARS-CoV-2), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-1 (ref. ), vary in their transmissibility and pathogenicity.

Er-xian Decoction exerts estrogen-like osteoprotective effects in vivo and in vitro.

Er-xian Decoction (EXD), containing Herba epimedii Maxim (HEP) and Curculigo orchioides Gaertn (XM) as principal drugs, is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula prescribed for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present study, the in vivo anti-osteoporosis effects of EXD, HEP and XM on four-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. Micro-computed tomography analysis showed that EXD could significantly improve the micro-architectural parameters (BMD, BV/TV, Tb.