Vertebrate limb development Flashcards
How do cells collectively organise themselves?
In order to acquire specific structure/identity
How do cells position themselves?
Along a 3D axis
What are the 3 axes of the vertebrate limb?
Anterior-Posterior:
- Anterior - thumb
- Posterior - little finger
Proximal-Distal:
- Proximal - shoulder
- Distal - tip of fingers
Ventral-Dorsal:
- Ventral - palm
- Dorsal - back of hand
What do the signals in the limb position?
Every cell that makes up:
- Nerves
- Tendons
- Blood vessels
- Bones
Of the limb
How do limb buds first appear?
As protrusions from the flank (side of the body) at PRECISE positions along the AP axis
Where do the limbs form from?
Limb fields at specific places along the AP axis
What determines where the limb fields are present?
INTRINSIC property of the LATERAL MESODERM
What happens if you graft a piece of mesoderm of the prospective limb into the flank which isn’t destined to form a limb?
What about if do this with an area of the flank –> area that forms a limb?
Forms a limb
No limb forms
What transcription factors specify limb bud IDENTITY?
Two T-box transcription factors
What T-box transcription factor is expressed in the forelimb?
Tbx5
What T-box transcription factor is expressed in the hindlimb?
Tbx4
What happens if force the expression of Tbx5 in the developing hindlimb?
BLOCK Tbx4 expression
In the chick, what happens if express Tbx4 in the forelimb and Tbx5 in the hindlimb?
In chick - reversal of activity
What happens if do loss-of-function of Tbx4 in the mouse?
Still from the hindlimb
Where is Pitx1 uniquely expressed?
What does Pitx1 do?
In the hindlimb - drives limb identity
What happens if KO Pitx1 in the hindlimb?
Loss of Tbx4 expression
Loss of hindlimb identity
What happens if force Pitx1 expression in the forelimb?
Express Tbx4
Hindlimb identity
How do specific limb fields form in specific areas along the AP axis?
Driven by Hox genes:
- Intrinsically expressed by the lateral mesoderm
- Drive specific Pitx and Tbx gene expression and positional identity
What is the boundary where the forelimb is going to form?
- At the boundary between Hox5 and Hox6
- The transition between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae in the axial skeleton
How is the limb bud/limb formation initiated?
How do we know this?
By FGFs (mainly FGF4 and FGF8)
If replace the limb field cells by beads soaked in FGF - limb field cells acquire limb bud identity
What is the suggested intermediate between Hox proteins and Tbx expression?
RA - produced by the paraxial and the lateral mesoderm
What is the model for the initiation of limb bud formation?
Hox proteins –> RA –> Tbx transcription factors –> Fgf10 –> FGF8
Describe the process of limb bud formation
1) Hox genes along the AP axis determine the position of the future LIMB FIELD
2) Depending on what Hox gene - determines forelimb or hindlimb (express different Tbx transcription factors)
3) Tbx transcription factors drive the expression of Fgf10 in the LATERAL MESODERM, which drives the expression of Fgf8 in the ECTODERM
What drives the expression of Fgf10 in the lateral mesoderm?
Fgf8 expression in the intermediate mesoderm
What restricts the expression pattern of Fgf10 and therefore Fgf8?
Wnt expression - restricts the size of the domains