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Sequential changes of programmed cell death in developing fetal mouse limbs and its possible roles in limb
1Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Journal of Morphology
|September 1, 1996
Summary
Programmed cell death (PCD) sculpts developing mouse limbs by eliminating cells in interdigital spaces and joints, essential for normal digit formation and preventing malformations like polydactyly.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Morphogenesis
Background:
- Limb development involves intricate processes of cell proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death (PCD).
- Understanding the precise role and timing of PCD is crucial for deciphering normal limb morphogenesis and congenital anomalies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To sequentially examine apoptotic cell death (PCD) in developing mouse limbs from days 11-15 of gestation.
- To investigate the relationship between PCD and limb morphogenesis, particularly digital formation and separation.
Main Methods:
- Nile blue (NB) sulfate staining was employed to visualize apoptotic cells in mouse fetal limb explants.
- Sequential analysis was performed on days 11-15 of gestation.
Main Results:
- PCD primarily occurred in the mesenchyme, not the surface ectoderm, of developing hands and feet.
- PCD initiated in the proximal interdigital mesenchyme and progressed distally, crucial for digit separation and demarcation.
- PCD was also observed in presumptive phalangeal joints, progressing proximally to distally, essential for joint cavity formation.
- Intense PCD at the marginal areas of limb plates prevented polydactyly and other malformations.
Conclusions:
- The spatiotemporal regulation of PCD is genetically determined and vital for normal limb morphogenesis.
- Normal PCD progression in rodent limb development prevents malformations such as syndactyly, polydactyly, and cleft limbs.