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Generation of Dispersed Presomitic Mesoderm Cell Cultures for Imaging of the Zebrafish Segmentation Clock in Single Cells
Published on: July 24, 2014
Synchronized oscillation of the segmentation clock gene in vertebrate development.
Koichiro Uriu1, Yoshihiro Morishita2,3, Yoh Iwasa2
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan. uriu@bio-math10.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Journal of Mathematical Biology
|September 17, 2009
Summary
This study mathematically models how segmentation clock gene oscillations synchronize between cells during vertebrate somitogenesis. We identified key reaction rates in gene-protein kinetics that influence the stability of synchronized gene expression patterns.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Systems Biology
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Vertebrate somitogenesis relies on a segmentation clock, with genes like HER (zebrafish) oscillating in synchronized patterns.
- Intercellular communication, particularly Delta-Notch signaling, is crucial for synchronizing these oscillations between adjacent cells.
- Delta-Notch signaling can paradoxically lead to spatial heterogeneity rather than synchronization due to feedback inhibition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mathematically investigate the conditions required for synchronized gene expression oscillations in pre-somitic mesoderm cells.
- To explore how molecular kinetics and cell-cell interactions influence the stability of segmentation clock synchronization.
Main Methods:
- Development of a mathematical model incorporating segmentation clock gene mRNA and protein kinetics.
- Inclusion of Delta-Notch signaling as the mechanism for intercellular interaction.
- Statistical analysis of the model with randomly generated parameters to assess synchronization likelihood.
Main Results:
- The study reveals that specific reaction rates within the gene-protein kinetic model are critical determinants of synchronized oscillation.
- Parameter space analysis identified conditions favoring stable, synchronized oscillations over spatial heterogeneity.
- The interplay between intracellular gene regulation and intercellular signaling dictates the emergence of synchronized segmentation clock behavior.
Conclusions:
- Mathematical modeling provides insights into the complex dynamics of segmentation clock synchronization.
- Reaction rates governing gene-protein kinetics significantly impact the ability of cells to achieve synchronized oscillations.
- Understanding these kinetics is essential for comprehending vertebrate embryonic development and somitogenesis.
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