Intercellular signaling molecules, known as morphogens, act at a long range in developing
tissues to provide spatial information and control properties such as cell fate and tissue …

Transcriptional bursting refers to the stochastic transition of a promoter between
transcriptionally active and inactive states. This dynamic process is highly regulated by the …

The limits on a system's response to external perturbations inform our understanding of how
physical properties can be shaped by microscopic characteristics. Here, we derive …

Highlights•Technical innovations allow live imaging of transcriptional dynamics in
embryos.•Digging deeper brought new insights into Drosophila gene regulation and …

Introduction The bicoid (bcd) gene in Drosophila has served as a paradigm for a morphogen
in textbooks for decades. Discovered in 1986 as a mutation affecting anterior development …

The onset of neural induction in the anterior ectoderm of ascidian embryos is regulated at
the extracellular level by FGF signaling molecules, which control the acquisition of neural …

Transcription factors play an essential role in pattern formation during early embryo
development, generating a strikingly fast and precise transcriptional response that results in …

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression despite constraints from chromatin
structure and the cell cycle. Here we examine the concentration-dependent regulation of …

The establishment and interpretation of the concentration distribution of the morphogen
Bicoid (Bcd) is considered crucial for the successful embryonic development of fruit flies …

Coordinating the action of different enhancers is crucial to correctly specify cell fate
decisions during development. Yet it remains poorly understood how the activity of multiple …