Mammalian ovaries consist of follicles as basic functional units. Each follicle comprised an innermost oocyte and several surrounding flattened granulosa cells. Unlike males, according to the initial size of the primordial follicle pool and the rate of its activation and depletion, a female's reproductive life has been determined early in life. Primordial follicles, once activated, will get into an irreversible process of development. Most follicles undergo atretic degeneration, and only a few of them could mature and ovulate. Although there are a lot of researches contributing to exploring the activation of primordial follicles, little is known about its underlying mechanisms. Thus, in this review, we collected the latest papers and summarized the signaling pathways as well as some factors involved in the activation of primordial follicles, hoping to lead to a more profound understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of primordial follicle activation.Mammalian sperm acquire ability to fertilize through a process called capacitation, occurring after ejaculation and regulated by both female molecules and male decapacitation factors. Bicarbonate and calcium present in the female reproductive tract trigger capacitation in sperm, leading to acrosomal responsiveness and hyperactivated motility. Male decapacitating factors present in the semen avert premature capacitation, until detached from the sperm surface. However, their mechanism of action remains elusive. Here we describe for the first time the molecular basis for the decapacitating action of the seminal protein SPINK3 in mouse sperm. When present in the capacitating medium, SPINK3 inhibited Src kinase, a modulator of the potassium channel responsible for plasma membrane hyperpolarization. Lack of hyperpolarization affected calcium channels activity, impairing the acquisition of acrosomal responsiveness and blocking hyperactivation. Interestingly, SPINK3 acted only on non-capacitated sperm, as it did not bind to capacitated cells. Binding selectivity allows its decapacitating action only in non-capacitated sperm, without affecting capacitated cells.Concerted radial migration of newly born cortical projection neurons, from their birthplace to their final target lamina, is a key step in the assembly of the cerebral cortex. The cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the specific sequential steps of radial neuronal migration in vivo are however still unclear, let alone the effects and interactions with the extracellular environment. In any in vivo context, cells will always be exposed to a complex extracellular environment consisting of (1) secreted factors acting as potential signaling cues, (2) the extracellular matrix, and (3) other cells providing cell-cell interaction through receptors and/or direct physical stimuli. Most studies so far have described and focused mainly on intrinsic cell-autonomous gene functions in neuronal migration but there is accumulating evidence that non-cell-autonomous-, local-, systemic-, and/or whole tissue-wide effects substantially contribute to the regulation of radial neuronal migration. These non-cell-autonomous effects may differentially affect cortical neuron migration in distinct cellular environments. However, the cellular and molecular natures of such non-cell-autonomous mechanisms are mostly unknown. Furthermore, physical forces due to collective migration and/or community effects (i.e., interactions with surrounding cells) may play important roles in neocortical projection neuron migration. In this concise review, we first outline distinct models of non-cell-autonomous interactions of cortical projection neurons along their radial migration trajectory during development. We then summarize experimental assays and platforms that can be utilized to visualize and potentially probe non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. Lastly, we define key questions to address in the future.Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division that physically partitions the mother cell into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis requires the assembly and constriction of a contractile ring, a circumferential array of filamentous actin (F-actin), non-muscle myosin II motors (myosin), and actin-binding proteins that forms at the cell equator. Cytokinesis is accompanied by long-range cortical flows from regions of relaxation toward regions of compression. In the C. elegans one-cell embryo, it has been suggested that anterior-directed cortical flows are the main driver of contractile ring assembly. Here, we use embryos co-expressing motor-dead and wild-type myosin to show that cortical flows can be severely reduced without major effects on contractile ring assembly and timely completion of cytokinesis. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in the ingressing furrow reveals that myosin recruitment kinetics are also unaffected by the absence of cortical flows. We find that myosin cooperates with the F-actin crosslinker plastin to align and compact F-actin bundles at the cell equator, and that this cross-talk is essential for cytokinesis. Our results thus argue against the idea that cortical flows are a major determinant of contractile ring assembly. Instead, we propose that contractile ring assembly requires localized concerted action of motor-competent myosin and plastin at the cell equator.Tight junctions (TJs) are intercellular structures which are essential for epithelial barrier function and play an important role in antimicrobial defense. Epithelium dysfunction and type-2-skewed inflammation are two main pathological phenomena of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, the effect of pro-inflammatory type-2 cytokine IL-13 on TJs in CRSwNP is poorly understood. Nasal biopsies of CRSwNP patients and in vitro IL-13-matured human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) were used to analyze epithelial markers and TJ proteins. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/filgotinib.html Epithelium permeability, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), expression of TJs were quantified for IL-13-matured hNECs and that with RV infection. The expression of occludin, claudin-3, and ZO-1 were significantly decreased in CRSwNP biopsies and in hNECs after IL-13 treatment. IL-13 treatment increased epithelium permeability, decreased TEER and altered hNECs composition resulting in lesser ciliated cells and mucus over-secretion. Interestingly, claudin-3 is selectively expressed on ciliated cells.