Modeling of the dorsal gradient across species reveals interaction between embryo morphology and Toll signaling pathway during evolution.

ABSTRACT: Morphogenetic gradients are essential to allocate cell fates in embryos of varying sizes within and across closely related species. We previously showed that the maternal NF-κB/Dorsal (Dl) gradient has acquired different shapes in Drosophila species, which result in unequally scaled germ layers along the dorso-ventral axis and the repositioning of the neuroectodermal borders. Here we combined experimentation and mathematical modeling to investigate which factors might have contributed to the fast evolutionary changes of this gradient. To this end, we modified a previously developed model that employs differential equations of the main biochemical interactions of the Toll (Tl) signaling pathway, which regulates Dl nuclear transport. The original model simulations fit well the D. melanogaste

SUBMITTER: Ambrosi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4148200 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature