Content: This lecture describes how embryonic development, particularly in animals, is controlled at the transcriptional level. It is rooted in a historical perspective on research in genetics, embryology and the birth of molecular biology. It reviews the basic molecular mechanisms of Eukaryotic transcription of DNA into RNA, as well as the different levels of regulation of this process. The lecture has a strong emphasis on cis-regulatory elements and much less emphasis on epigenetic regulation. Finally, the lecture examines the consequences of the molecular processes on cell specification and differentiation, tissue patterning and morphogenesis, as well as species evolution.
Learning outcomes: The students will have an overview on the transcriptional control of embryonic development. In particular, the lecture highlights the relationships between different levels of biological complexity, from molecules to cells, to organs, and to the entire organism. In addition, the lecture provides a solid refresher on the basic mechanisms of gene transcriptional regulation.
- Trainer/in: Nicolas Gompel