Fig. 5. RNA whole-mount in situ hybridisation analysis of limb buds injected with
dominant-negative forms of Tbx5. (A) Dorsal view of the control,
uninjected limb bud showing Fgf8, expressed in the AER, and
Shh, expressed in the ZPA at stage 23. (B) Dorsal view of
Tbx5
-injected limb. Fgf8 is not expressed in the
anterior of the injected limb and Shh expression is not detected in
the ZPA. In this example, the injection was carried out at stage 8 to achieve
high-level infection. In A, the image of the contralateral uninjected control
limb has been reversed to provide a clearer comparison with the respective
experimental, injected limb in B. (C) Distal view of an uninjected control
limb showing Fgf8 expression in the AER and Shh expression
in the ZPA. (D) Distal view of the limb injected with Tbx5
virus at stage 10 and harvested at stage 23. Injection at the later stage
produces lower-level infection and a weaker phenotype. Cells expressing
Fgf8 are present in the anterior of the limb in a broader region of
flattened ectoderm and have not formed a ridge of cells (arrow). (E) A
transverse section through the anterior of the limb shown in C. The
Fgf8-expressing cells (arrow) form a ridge of cells at the distal tip
of the limb. (F) Transverse section through the anterior of the limb shown in
D. The Fgf8-expressing cells (arrow) are present in the flattened
ectoderm and do not form a ridge. The effect of Tbx5 misexpression is
observed primarily in the anterior mesenchyme.