Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling: an important mechanism to coordinate growth and patterning in the limb

The limb is one of the premier models for studying how a simple embryonic anlage develops into complex three-dimensional form. One of the key issues in the limb field has been to determine how the limb becomes patterned along its proximal (shoulder/hip) to distal (digits) axis. For decades it has been known that the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) plays a crucial role in distal outgrowth and patterning of the vertebrate embryonic limb. Most studies have explored the relationship between the AER and the progressive assignment of cell fates to mesenchyme along the proximal to distal (PD) axis. Comparatively few, however, have examined the additional role of the AER to regulate distal outgrowth of the limb and how this growth may also influence pattern along the PD axis. Here, I will review key studies that explore the role of growth in limb development. In particular, I will focus on a recent flurry of papers that examine the role of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway in regulating directed growth of the limb mesenchyme. Finally, I will discuss a potential mechanism that relates the AER to the Wnt/PCP pathway and how directed growth can play a role in shaping the limb along the PD axis.