The elucidation and characterization of genes necessary for establishing pattern formation during morphogenesis and the study of their regulation are problems which are central to many aspects of vertebrate biology. It may be expected that processes including responses to trophic stimuli, cell-cell interactions, migration, differential cell multiplication, programmed cell death, etc. are all involved. Many of these same processes are recapitulated in a pathologic manner during oncogenesis. Chick limb development is an attractive system for studying the molecular basis for pattern formation during morphogenesis. Critical events at the level of tissue/cellular interactions involved in pattern formation have been well characterized in this organism, the events regulating pattern formation appear to be overall very similar to those in mammalian systems, and it is possible to isolate limb bud tissue from defined stages of development in large numbers. It is the aim of this long-term project to isolate genes that regulate morphogenesis in the chick embryo limb bud.
