In a paper published in Cell (157, 1380–1392; 2014), researchers led by Billy G. Hudson (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN) report that the chemical element bromine is essential for tissue development in animals, from fruit flies to humans. “Without bromine, there are no animals,” said Hudson in a press release. The ionic form of the element, bromide, acts as a cofactor in the formation of a bond between collagen IV molecules, helping them to form the scaffolds that support the basement membranes of animal tissues. Basement membranes are specialized extracellular matrices that provide mechanical support for and define the morphology and architecture of epithelial cells and tissues.
To investigate bromine function, Hudson's group fed fruit flies a bromine-deficient diet and compared them with flies given the same diet but with bromine replaced. Bromine-deficient flies had developmental delays, altered tissue morphology, aberrant embryogenesis and early mortality. But replacing bromine in the diet restored flies' normal phenotypes.
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