title: Subdivision of the lateral plate mesoderm and specification of the forelimb and hindlimb forming domains.
abstract: The limbs are a significant evolutionary innovation that enabled vertebrates to diversify and colonise new environments. Tetrapods have two pairs of limbs, forelimbs in the upper body and hindlimbs in the lower body. The morphologies of the forelimbs and hindlimbs are distinct, reflecting their specific locomotory functions although they share many common signalling networks that regulate their development. The paired appendages in vertebrates form at fixed positions along the rostral-caudal axis and this occurs as a consequence of earlier subdivision of the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) into regions with distinct limb forming potential. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that confer a broad region of the flank with limb-forming potential and its subsequent refinement into distinct forelimb-forming, hindlimb-forming and interlimb territories.
authors.affiliation: Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK. Electronic address: satoko.nishimoto@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimoto
authors.affiliation: Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK. Electronic address: malcolm.logan@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Malcolm P O
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D005552:Forelimb / Q000196:embryology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D018878:Limb Buds / Q000196:embryology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000196:embryology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
keywords: Hox genes; Lateral plate mesoderm; Limb development; Pitx1; Regionalization; Tbx genes