title: Putting it all on pigmentation: Heuristics of a bold and stochastic cell fate decision.
abstract: Gradients of transmembrane potential coordinate cell-fate decisions and patterning during embryogenesis and wound-healing. Bioelectrical signaling may also be more important for adult pathologies than currently recognized. In this issue of Science Signaling, Lobikin et al. describe a role for bioelectric signals during the development of Xenopus leavis embryos to instruct an organism-level response reminiscent of neoplastic progression in melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. xing1@pitt.edu robinlee@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. xing1@pitt.edu robinlee@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Robin E C
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin