Chemical Waves in Embryonic Cell Cycles

Abstract

AbstractIn most metazoans, early embryonic development is characterized by a rapid series of cleavage divisions. At the core of the coordination of these divisions is the oscillatory dynamic of Cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1), which arises through the integration of a negative feedback with delay and positive feedback. The regulation of this oscillator in large embryos is emerging as an ideal model for quantitative studies of how spatiotemporal coordination is achieved in large complex tissues. Recent work has demonstrated that the reaction‐diffusion dynamics regulating the cell cycle can generate traveling waves of enzymatic activity, which ensure the synchronization of cell division processes. Here, we will review how the mechanisms of cell cycle regulation can give rise to chemical waves, and highlight recent experiments on the coordination of cell division through traveling waves.