The molecular genetics of embryonic pattern formation in Drosophila

Analysis of the genes that control the early events of Drosophila embryogenesis is providing details of the molecular processes underlying the positional specification of cells. There are two distinct phases: the first precedes the cellularization of the blastoderm embryo and is associated with a cascade of interactions between transcriptional regulators; the second occurs after cellularization and depends on communication between cells. These processes may be conserved in a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates.