Single-cell transcriptional dynamics in a living vertebrate

The ability to follow transcription in individual cells with live imaging has revealed key dynamical mechanisms of gene regulation. However, such measurements are lacking in the context of vertebrate embryos. We addressed this deficit by applying MS2-MCP mRNA labeling to the quantification of transcription in zebrafish, a model vertebrate. We developed a platform of transgenic organisms, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, and optimized image analysis that enables visualization and quantification of MS2 reporters. With these tools, we obtained single-cell, real-time measurements of the transcriptional dynamics of the segmentation clock. Our measurements reveal that smooth clock protein oscillations arise from discrete transcriptional bursts that are organized in space and time. Together, these results highlight how measuring single-cell transcriptional activity in the context of vertebrate organisms can reveal unexpected features of gene regulation and how this data can fuel the dialogue between theory and experiment.