Probing the impact of temperature on molecular events in a developmental system.
Probing the impact of temperature on molecular events in a developmental system.
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DOI：
10.1038/srep13124
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发表时间：
2015-08-19
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Ma J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cheung D;Ma J
发育的一个广为人知的普遍特征是，尽管在分子、遗传或环境水平上存在不可避免的变化，但仍有能力实现正常结果。但是，温度等全球因素的变化如何从分子角度给发育系统带来特定的挑战，目前还不是很清楚。在这里，我们使用早期果蝇胚胎来解决这个问题，其中母体梯度二倍体(BCD)指示前图案(AP)图案。我们发现温度可以影响胚胎中BCD梯度的幅度。为了评估分子决定是如何在不同的温度下做出的，我们量化了BCD的浓度及其目标基因驼背(HB)在单个胚胎中的表达。我们的结果表明，在一定的温度范围内，诱导Hb转录的BCD浓度阈值相对较强。我们的结果还揭示了温度对胚胎发育和分子事件进展的影响的复杂性。因此，我们的研究通过定量阐述胚胎必须解决的特定特征和挑战--由温度变化施加的--提出了发育稳健性的概念。
A well-appreciated general feature of development is the ability to achieve a normal outcome despite the inevitable variability at molecular, genetic, or environmental levels. But it is not well understood how changes in a global factor such as temperature bring about specific challenges to a developmental system in molecular terms. Here we address this question using early Drosophila embryos where the maternal gradient Bicoid (Bcd) instructs anterior-patterning (AP) patterning. We show that temperature can impact the amplitude of the Bcd gradient in the embryo. To evaluate how molecular decisions are made at different temperatures, we quantify Bcd concentrations and the expression of its target gene hunchback (hb) in individual embryos. Our results suggest a relatively robust Bcd concentration threshold in inducing hb transcription within a temperature range. Our results also reveal a complex nature of the effects of temperature on the progressions of developmental and molecular events of the embryo. Our study thus advances the concept of developmental robustness by quantitatively elaborating specific features and challenges—imposed by changes in temperature—that an embryo must resolve.