Segmentation Clock: Cellular Oscillators and Pattern Generation

This lecture explores the intricate process of somitogenesis, focusing on the segmentation clock mechanism that drives the rhythmic pattern generation in developing embryos. Topics include the role of cellular oscillators, the clock and wavefront model, somitogenesis rhythm measurement, and the impact of period mutants on segment length and number. The lecture delves into the synchronization of neighboring cells, the importance of Delta-Notch signaling in segmentation, and the defects that arise when synchronization fails, such as congenital scoliosis. Through gene expression wave patterns and spatial frequency profiles, the lecture elucidates how cellular oscillators slow down across the presomitic mesoderm, leading to the emergence of wave patterns and providing insights into positional information and signaling gradients.