TY - JOUR
T1 - Modeling the bicoid gradient
T2 - Diffusion and reversible nuclear trapping of a stable protein
AU - Coppey, Mathieu
AU - Berezhkovskii, Alexander M.
AU - Kim, Yoosik
AU - Boettiger, Alistair N.
AU - Shvartsman, Stanislav Y.
PY - 2007/12/15
Y1 - 2007/12/15
N2 - The Bicoid gradient in the Drosophila embryo provided the first example of a morphogen gradient studied at the molecular level. The exponential shape of the Bicoid gradient had always been interpreted within the framework of the localized production, diffusion, and degradation model. We propose an alternative mechanism, which assumes no Bicoid degradation. The medium where the Bicoid gradient is formed and interpreted is very dynamic. Most notably, the number of nuclei changes over three orders of magnitude from fertilization, when Bicoid synthesis is initiated, to nuclear cycle 14 when most of the measurements were taken. We demonstrate that a model based on Bicoid diffusion and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in the presence of the growing number of nuclei can account for most of the properties of the Bicoid concentration profile. Consistent with experimental observations, the Bicoid gradient in our model is established before nuclei migrate to the periphery of the embryo and remains stable during subsequent nuclear divisions.
AB - The Bicoid gradient in the Drosophila embryo provided the first example of a morphogen gradient studied at the molecular level. The exponential shape of the Bicoid gradient had always been interpreted within the framework of the localized production, diffusion, and degradation model. We propose an alternative mechanism, which assumes no Bicoid degradation. The medium where the Bicoid gradient is formed and interpreted is very dynamic. Most notably, the number of nuclei changes over three orders of magnitude from fertilization, when Bicoid synthesis is initiated, to nuclear cycle 14 when most of the measurements were taken. We demonstrate that a model based on Bicoid diffusion and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in the presence of the growing number of nuclei can account for most of the properties of the Bicoid concentration profile. Consistent with experimental observations, the Bicoid gradient in our model is established before nuclei migrate to the periphery of the embryo and remains stable during subsequent nuclear divisions.
KW - Analysis
KW - Bicoid
KW - Drosophila
KW - Dynamics
KW - Modelling
KW - Morphogen
KW - Pattern formation
KW - Syncytium
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36549006909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=36549006909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.09.058
DO - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.09.058
M3 - Article
C2 - 18001703
AN - SCOPUS:36549006909
SN - 0012-1606
VL - 312
SP - 623
EP - 630
JO - Developmental biology
JF - Developmental biology
IS - 2
ER -