An overview of developmental genetics in mammals

Publications in mammalian developmental genetics during the past year reflect a shift of emphasis from the phenotypic level to the primary level of gene expression and the nature of the gene product. A result of this, the developmental role of a considerable number of regulatory genes and specific gene sequences have been identified. The cell type-specific effects of several mutations analyzed in the past have been correlated with effects on growth factors and signal transduction pathways. Specific gene sequences such as those containing the homeobox domains and paired-box sequences have recently been implicated in the control of pattern formation and positional information.