Dynamic Imaging and Modeling of Pattern Formation Along the Central Dogma in the Early Drosophila Embryo

Gene regulatory networks in embryonic development relay spatial and temporal information across all the cells in the organism, providing a blueprint for the adult body plan. These regulatory patterns emerge from the processes of the central dogma of molecular biology: the transfer of information from DNA to mRNA to protein. Previous studies on pattern formation along the central dogma have been limited to fixed tissue measurements. However, these patterns are dynamic, and a predictive understanding of dynamics is key to understanding development.

In this study, we simultaneously measure transcription dynamics, protein expression, and protein diffusion in live fruit fly embryos. Using a reaction-diffusion framework, we model the relationship between spatiotemporal mRNA and protein patterns. We find that model parameters describing this transmission of information are crucial for pattern formation. For example, the rates of protein diffusion, degradation, and mRNA transcription determine the boundary and lifetime of the protein and mRNA patterns in space and time. This work applies the reaction-diffusion model to rapidly evolving gene expression patterns in the fruit fly embryos, offering new insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of the central dogma in development.