Limb Development Flashcards
What happens when half the limb disc is removed?
-remaining half will form a complete limb
What happens when the disc is vertically dived into two halves and physically separated into two halves?
-each half will form a normal limb
What happens when two discs are fused together?
-a single limb will form
What initiates limb development?
-par axial mesoderm signals via RA based on a Hox code
What initiates forelimb growth?
-Tbx5
What initiates hindlimb growth?
-Tbx4 and Pitx-1
What does the expression of Gli3 and Hand2 do?
-fixes anterior-posterior axis
How does ectoderm and mesoderm communicate?
- Ectoderm signals mesoderm with FGF-8
- mesoderm signals ectoderm with FGF-10
What are the three axes of the vertebrate limb?
- dorsoventral axis
- anterior-posterior axis
- proximodistal axis
What happens when a limb. Disc is transplanted to the opposite side?
- AP axis is reversed but not DV axis
- normal limb is formed, but it’s AP axis is reversed
What happens when a limb disc is rotated 180 degrees?
- both the AP axis and DV axis will be reversed
- a normal limb will form but only its AP axis is revered
What happens when flank tissue from posterior of limb disc is transplanted to an ectopic site just anterior to the limb disc?
- resulting limb consists of 2 posterior halves arranged in mirror image fashion
- Conclusion: strip of flank tissue just posterior to the limb disc organizes the posterior edge of the disc -> posterior organizing region
- RA sets up gradient across disc, part of disc with higher conc forms the posterior half of the limb
What happens when anterior part of a wing bud is treated with RA to behave like posterior organizing region?
- these cells begin expressing RNA product of Shh
- Conclusion: RA is not the morphogen but activates Shh gene which then expresses what might be the morphogen
- this is the ZPA
What is Hoxb8 responsible for?
- determines position of ZPA via highest conc
- expression is induced by RA
What does Shh do?
- signal produced by ZPA
- also maintains structures and function of AER
-induces expression of gremlin
+inhibits BMP-1 which inhibits FGF-4 in AER
+inhibits Gli-3 posterior part of the limb bud
What does Gli-3 do?
-inhibits expression of Shh in anterior part of limb bud
What does the apical ectodermal ridge do?
-consists of two layers
+outer, continuous flattened periderm
+inner simple columnar layer
-separated by basal lamina from limb bud mesoderm
Where is the AER located? What do these structures express?
- at the border between dorsal ectoderm and ventral ectoderm
- dorsal ectoderm expresses radical fringe
- ventral ectoderm expressed Engrailed-1