Mindy Liu Perkins

Abstract Biophysical constraints limit the specificity with which transcription factors (TFs) can target regulatory DNA. While individual nontarget binding events may be low affinity, the sheer number of such interactions could present a challenge for gene regulation by degrading its precision or possibly leading to an erroneous induction state.

Ultimate Ftz fate is robustly specified in half an hour Although the autoregulatory element becomes active 20 min before gastrulation, our model suggests that Ftz expression state at gastrulation is nevertheless primarily determined by the early element. It is therefore conceivable that some cells transiently express high Ftz at gastrulation without committing to stably expressing high Ftz in the long term.