title: Intrinsic, Hox-dependent cues determine the fate of skeletal muscle precursors.
abstract: It is generally held that vertebrate muscle precursors depend totally on environmental cues for their development. We show that instead, somites are predisposed toward a particular myogenic program. This predisposition depends on the somite's axial identity: when flank somites are transformed into limb-level somites, either by shifting somitic boundaries with FGF8 or by overexpressing posterior Hox genes, they readily activate the program typical for migratory limb muscle precursors. The intrinsic control over myogenic programs can only be overridden by FGF4 signals provided by the apical ectodermal ridge of a developing limb.
authors.affiliation: Department of Craniofacial Development, Floor 27 Guy's Tower, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, SE1 9RT, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lúcia E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Alvares
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.forename: Roy C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Mootoosamy
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parkyn
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lumsden
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dietrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins; D019521:Body Patterning; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003463:Cues; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004777:Environment; D005121:Extremities / Q000196:embryology; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D024510:Muscle Development; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D009333:Neck / Q000196:embryology; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism; D011784:Quail; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019170:Somites / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019737:Transplants
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C113279:LBX1 protein, Gallus gallus; C491868:Lbx1h protein, mouse; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C068686:Pax3 protein, mouse; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met