Isabell Niedermoser

β-catenin-dependent endomesoderm specification appears to be a Bilateria-specific co-option

The paper shows that β-catenin signaling patterns the oral-aboral axis in Nematostella vectensis, but endoderm specification occurs opposite to nuclear β-catenin accumulation, suggesting this mechanism is a Bilateria-specific co-option.

Sea anemone Frizzled receptors play partially redundant roles in the oral-aboral axis patterning

The paper shows that four Frizzled receptors in Nematostella vectensis have partially redundant roles in oral-aboral axis patterning via cWnt signaling, but not in endoderm specification.

β-catenin dependent axial patterning in Cnidaria and Bilateria uses similar regulatory logic

The paper investigates β-catenin-dependent axial patterning in Nematostella and finds similar regulatory logic to deuterostomes, suggesting a common evolutionary origin.