Decoding the gap gene network of Drosophila melanogaster

Synopsis

The latest work by the 1995 Nobel prize winner, Dr. Wieschaus on the gap gene network of the early embryo of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In this talk, we will give a background on the gap gene network of the fruit fly, as well as detail the newest attempts to create a theoretical optimal decoder that is capable of predicting cellular position using Bayesian probability. We will also summarize the effects of mutated maternal morphogens on gap gene behavior and the subsequent success and failure of the optimal decoder on mutated data. Lastly, we will discuss the temporal capabilities of the decoder early into the fruit fly embryo development and the idea that precise cellular fate may be predicted from an early stage of development.

M.D. Petkova, G. Tkačik, W. Bialek, E.F. Wieschaus, T. Gregor
Optimal decoding of cellular identities in a genetic network
Cell, 176 (2019), pp. 844-855.e15
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867419300406