Precision of readout at the hunchback gene

The simultaneous expression of the hunchback gene in the multiple nuclei of the developing fly embryo gives us a unique opportunity to study how transcription is regulated in functional organisms. A recently developed MS2-MCP technique for imaging transcription in living Drosophila embryos allows us to quantify the dynamics of the developmental transcription process. The initial measurement of the morphogens by the hunchback promoter takes …