Preface

Abstract

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) offer an unprecedented view on the genomic control of developmental and evolutionary processes. By regulating gene expression, GRNs control the molecular changes in genome activity that drive development and enable evolution. A lot remains to be learned about how GRNs control developmental mechanisms, and this volume provides just a snapshot of a growing field. Many bits and pieces of regulatory circuits have been discovered, or are currently being investigated, in different animals and particularly also in plants. In many developmental contexts, functional analyses of GRNs are starting to illuminate the control systems that generate causality in the developmental process. This volume focuses in particular on developmental systems where decades of research have provided sufficient tools and insights to generate a causal understanding of the underlying GRNs and the evolution thereof. The articles in this collection discuss current insights into how GRNs operate in various contexts in development and evolution, and also address some of the challenges that lie ahead and that will be solved in coming years as research in this scientific area advances.