Article Dans Une Revue Science Advances Année : 2025

Transcription factor clusters as information transfer agents

Résumé

Deciphering how genes interpret information from transcription factor (TF) concentrations within the cell nucleus remains a fundamental question in gene regulation. Recent advancements have revealed the heterogeneous distribution of TF molecules, posing challenges to precisely decoding concentration signals. Using high-resolution single-cell imaging of the fluorescently tagged TF Bicoid in living Drosophila embryos, we show that Bicoid accumulation in submicrometer clusters preserves the spatial information of the maternal Bicoid gradient. These clusters provide precise spatial cues through intensity, size, and frequency. We further discover that Bicoid target genes colocalize with these clusters in an enhancer-binding affinity-dependent manner. Our modeling suggests that clustering offers a faster sensing mechanism for global nuclear concentrations than freely diffusing TF molecules detected by simple enhancers.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
sciadv.adp3251.pdf (1.12 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Publication financée par une institution
Licence

Dates et versions

pasteur-04876250 , version 1 (09-01-2025)
pasteur-04876250 , version 2 (10-01-2025)

Licence

Identifiants

Citer

Rahul Munshi, Jia Ling, Sergey Ryabichko, Eric F Wieschaus, Thomas Gregor. Transcription factor clusters as information transfer agents. Science Advances , 2025, 11 (1), eadp3251. ⟨10.1126/sciadv.adp3251⟩. ⟨pasteur-04876250v2⟩
44 Consultations
12 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More