Genome-wide measurement of spatial expression in patterning mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

Patterning in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo is affected by multiple maternal factors, but the effect of these factors on spatial gene expression has not been systematically analyzed. Here we characterize the effect of the maternal factors Zelda, Hunchback and Bicoid by cryosectioning wildtype and mutant blastoderm stage embryos and sequencing mRNA from each slice. The resulting atlas of spatial gene expression highlights the intersecting roles of these factors in regulating spatial patterns, and serves as a resource for researchers studying spatial patterning in the early embryo. We identify a large number of genes with both expected and unexpected patterning changes, and through integrated analysis of transcription factor binding data identify common themes in genes with complex dependence on these transcription factors.