Development 126, 4885-4893 (1999) 4885 Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 1999 DEV2435 SF/HGF is a mediator between limb patterning and muscle development Martin Scaal1, Alexander Bonafede1, Verena Dathe1, Martin Sachs2, Gordon Cann3, Bodo Christ1 and Beate Brand-Saberi1,* 1Institute of Anatomy, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 17, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany 2Department of Medical Genetics, Max-Delbrueck-Centre of Molecular Medicine, Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, D-13122 Berlin, Germany 3Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA, USA *Author for correspondence (e-mail:
[email protected]) Accepted 24 August; published on WWW 6 October 1999 SUMMARY Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) is posterior limb bud mesenchyme. We could identify BMP- known to be involved in the detachment of myogenic 2 as a potential inhibitor of SF/HGF expression in the precursor cells from the lateral dermomyotomes and their posterior limb bud mesenchyme. We further demonstrate subsequent migration into the newly formed limb buds. As that ZPA excision results in a shift of Pax-3-positive cells yet, however, nothing has been known about the role of the towards the posterior limb bud mesenchyme, indicating a persistent expression of SF/HGF in the limb bud role of the ZPA in positioning of the premuscle masses. mesenchyme during later stages of limb bud development. Moreover, we present evidence that, in the limb bud To test for a potential role of SF/HGF in early limb muscle mesenchyme, SF/HGF increases the motility of myogenic patterning, we examined the regulation of SF/HGF precursor cells and has a role in maintaining their expression in the limb bud as well as the influence of undifferentiated state during migration.