Developmental biology: Survival by self-digestion

Heintz, Nathaniel

Nathaniel Heintz is in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA. e-mail: [email protected]

Nature 432(7020):p 963, December 23, 2004.

Mammals face a problem just after birth: they are no longer nourished through the placenta, but suckling has not yet begun. How do they survive? Digestion of the animal's own cells could be the answer.