title: Positional Information and Cell Fate Determination in the Early Drosophila Embryo.
abstract: During early development in Drosophila, the spatial information of maternal gradients is translated into discrete transcriptional states determining cell fate. Information transfer depends on reproducibility of the gradients themselves, as well as the ability of cells to accurately measure and utilize morphogen concentrations in biologically meaning ways. In the following essay, these issues are discussed in context of the Bicoid gradient.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Department, HHMI, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Electronic address: efw@princeton.edu.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wieschaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D016764:Cell Polarity; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins
keywords: Bicoid; Blastoderm; Compartments; Drosophila embryo; Maternal gradients; Midblastula transition; Pattern formation; Positional information