25 years of the segmentation clock gene

Delta is part of the Notch signalling pathway, which signals between cells to activate the transcription of genes - including those of the Hes and her families - in neighbouring cells. [...]Delta and Lunaticfringe control the timing of HES7 and heri and her7 oscillations in neighbouring cells, which leads to synchronization7,9. Mathematical theorists have created models that have provided surprising insights - for example, demonstrating that the oscillations in gene expression are robust even when 90% of protein synthesis is blocked18. Oscillatory gene expression occurs in many cell types - for example, it has a role in regulating the proliferation of neural stem cells and muscle progenitor cells19.