article published yes Chen Y Zhang author 81b43fb8-c9d5-11ef-bf68-ade532a1f204 Pablo Mateu Hoyos author 50b236c7-50c1-11ef-bb9a-a2375694f8b5 David Brückner author e1e86031-6537-11eb-953a-f7ab92be508d0000-0001-7205-2975 Gašper Tkačik author 3D494DCA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A870000-0002-6699-1455 GaTk department EdHa department GradSch department Transcription in 4D: the dynamic interplay between chromatin architecture and gene expression in developing pseudo-embryos project In many developmental systems, cells differentiate into a tissue by reading out morphogen concentration fields, a process fundamentally limited by noise. How much can the precision of this process be improved by nonlocal information, e.g., via cell-cell communication? Using a Bayes-optimal framework, we show that positional inference depends crucially on morphogen spatial correlations and on the "structural prior" that encodes the geometry of the cellular lattice performing the readout, thereby determining what a cell can reliably assume about the position of its neighbors when interpreting nonlocal morphogen signals. We derive upper bounds on positional information gain due to nonlocal readout and identify signal processing algorithms that approximate optimal positional inference, as well as simple chemical reaction schemes which implement such algorithms. Our theory suggests that correlational information can be exploited to significantly enhance developmental precision. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/22326/22352/2026_PhysicalReviewLetters_Zhang.pdf application/pdfno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ American Physical Society2026 eng 0031-9007 1079-711410.1103/mbjk-v4ym 137 Zhang, Chen Y, Pablo Mateu Hoyos, David Brückner, and Gašper Tkačik. “Nonlocal Decoding of Positional and Correlational Information during Development.” <i>Physical Review Letters</i>. American Physical Society, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym">https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym</a>. C. Y. Zhang, P. Mateu Hoyos, D. Brückner, and G. Tkačik, “Nonlocal decoding of positional and correlational information during development,” <i>Physical Review Letters</i>, vol. 137. American Physical Society, 2026. Zhang, C. Y., Mateu Hoyos, P., Brückner, D., &#38; Tkačik, G. (2026). Nonlocal decoding of positional and correlational information during development. <i>Physical Review Letters</i>. American Physical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym">https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym</a> Zhang CY, Mateu Hoyos P, Brückner D, Tkačik G. 2026. Nonlocal decoding of positional and correlational information during development. Physical Review Letters. 137, 038401. C.Y. Zhang, P. Mateu Hoyos, D. Brückner, G. Tkačik, Physical Review Letters 137 (2026). Zhang CY, Mateu Hoyos P, Brückner D, Tkačik G. Nonlocal decoding of positional and correlational information during development. <i>Physical Review Letters</i>. 2026;137. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym">10.1103/mbjk-v4ym</a> Zhang, Chen Y., et al. “Nonlocal Decoding of Positional and Correlational Information during Development.” <i>Physical Review Letters</i>, vol. 137, 038401, American Physical Society, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/mbjk-v4ym">10.1103/mbjk-v4ym</a>. 223262026-07-14T05:38:28Z2026-07-16T09:58:04Z