Canalization of gene expression in the Drosophila blastoderm by gap gene cross regulation.

ABSTRACT: Developing embryos exhibit a robust capability to reduce phenotypic variations that occur naturally or as a result of experimental manipulation. This reduction in variation occurs by an epigenetic mechanism called canalization, a phenomenon which has resisted understanding because of a lack of necessary molecular data and of appropriate gene regulation models. In recent years, quantitative gene expression data have become available for the segment determination process in the Drosophila blastoderm, revealing a specific instance of canalization. These data show that the variation of the zygotic segmentation gene expression patterns is markedly reduced compared to earlier levels by the time gastrulation begins, and this variation is significantly lower than the variation of the maternal prot

SUBMITTER: Manu 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2653557 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature