Bridging spatial and temporal scales of developmental gene regulation

TL;DR

This review discusses how chromatin structure and dynamics coordinate gene regulation across spatial and temporal scales in development, integrating experimental findings and polymer physics models to understand organism reproducibility.

Contribution

It synthesizes recent experimental and theoretical insights, especially polymer physics, to bridge molecular transcription events with global gene expression during development.

Findings

Chromatin structure influences gene regulation across scales

Polymer physics models help describe chromatin dynamics

Integrated approaches clarify developmental gene regulation

Abstract

The development of multicellular organisms relies on the precise coordination of molecular events across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Understanding how information flows from molecular interactions to cellular processes and tissue organization during development is crucial for explaining the remarkable reproducibility of complex organisms. This review explores how chromatin-encoded information is transduced from localized transcriptional events to global gene expression patterns, highlighting the challenge of bridging these scales. We discuss recent experimental findings and theoretical frameworks, emphasizing polymer physics as a tool for describing the relationship between chromatin structure and dynamics across scales. By integrating these perspectives, we aim to clarify how gene regulation is coordinated across levels of biological organization and suggest strategies for future experimental approaches.