A compartmental model for the bicoid gradient

The anterior region of the Drosophila embryo is patterned by the concentration gradient of the homeodomain transcription factor bicoid (Bcd). The Bcd gradient was the first identified morphogen gradient and continues to be a subject of intense research at multiple levels, from the mechanisms of RNA...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental biology 2010-09, Vol.345 (1), p.12-17
Main Authors: Kavousanakis, Michail E., Kanodia, Jitendra S., Kim, Yoosik, Kevrekidis, Ioannis G., Shvartsman, Stanislav Y.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Animals
Blastoderm - cytology
Blastoderm - embryology
Blastoderm - metabolism
Body Patterning - genetics
Body Patterning - physiology
Computational modeling
Drosophila
Drosophila - embryology
Drosophila - genetics
Embryo, Nonmammalian - cytology
Embryo, Nonmammalian - embryology
Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Homeodomain Proteins - genetics
Homeodomain Proteins - physiology
Male
Models, Biological
Morphogen gradient
Oocytes - cytology
Oocytes - metabolism
Pattern formation
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
Trans-Activators - genetics
Trans-Activators - physiology
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Summary:The anterior region of the Drosophila embryo is patterned by the concentration gradient of the homeodomain transcription factor bicoid (Bcd). The Bcd gradient was the first identified morphogen gradient and continues to be a subject of intense research at multiple levels, from the mechanisms of RNA localization in the oocyte to the evolution of the Bcd-mediated patterning events in multiple Drosophila species. Critical assessment of the mechanisms of the Bcd gradient formation requires biophysical models of the syncytial embryo. Most of the proposed models rely on reaction–diffusion equations, but their formulation and applicability at high nuclear densities is a nontrivial task. We propose a straightforward alternative in which the syncytial blastoderm is approximated by a periodic arrangement of well-mixed compartments: a single nucleus and an associated cytoplasmic region. We formulate a compartmental model, constrain its parameters by experimental data, and demonstrate that it provides an adequate description of the Bcd gradient dynamics.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
DOI:10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.05.491