Mechanism for Converting Temporal Rhythms into Spatial Patterns of Body Segment

In development, spatially periodic structures are spontaneously formed in various tissues. These developmental structures are also formed in a proper temporal order. How is such spatial and temporal coordination achieved in morphogenesis? In this presentation, we discuss the mechanism that translates temporal rhythms of gene expression into spatially periodic patterns in vertebrate body segment formation. Mechanisms for converting oscillatory signals into vertebrate body segments have been proposed previously. Cooke and Zeeman 1976 proposed the Clock and Wavefront model based on the concept of the catastrophe theory. Still, it remains unclear how this conceptual model actually works in embryos. Here we develop a mathematical model aided by recent imaging and molecular genetics data and reveal a spatiotemporal bifurcation structure for vertebrate segment formation by using the dynamical systems theory.