title: Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) induces emigration of myogenic cells at interlimb level in vivo.
abstract: The initiating event in the migration of myogenic cells to the limb buds is an epitheliomesenchymal transformation of cells located at the lateral edge of the dermomyotome. Recently, a targeted mutation of c-met in mice demonstrated an essential role of this tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand, scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF), in the migration of myogenic cells to the limb buds. Here, we show that ectopic application of exogenous SF/HGF induces emigration of Pax-3-positive myogenic cells into the lateral plate mesoderm. During this process, the lateral portions of the dermomyotomes deepithelialize and the basement membrane disintegrates. Detaching myogenic cells do not lose N-cadherin from their surfaces. We conclude that an HGF/SF- and c-met-mediated signal detaches myogenic precursor cells from the somites and thus plays a necessary role in the initiation of myoblast migration.
authors.affiliation: Anatomisches Institut, Lehrstuhl II, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brand-Saberi
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilting
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Birchmeier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D018878:Limb Buds / Q000196:embryology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D007797:Laminin; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases