Noise in the Vertebrate Segmentation Clock Is Boosted by Time Delays but Tamed by Notch Signaling.

ABSTRACT: Taming cell-to-cell variability in gene expression is critical for precise pattern formation during embryonic development. To investigate the source and buffering mechanism of expression variability, we studied a biological clock, the vertebrate segmentation clock, controlling the precise spatiotemporal patterning of the vertebral column. By counting single transcripts of segmentation clock genes in zebrafish, we show that clock genes have low RNA amplitudes and expression variability is primarily driven by gene extrinsic sources, which is suppressed by Notch signaling. We further show that expression noise surprisingly increases from the posterior progenitor zone to the anterior segmentation and differentiation zone. Our computational model reproduces the spatial noise profile by incorpor

SUBMITTER: Keskin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5989725 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature