EXPRESSION OF T-BOX GENES TBX2-TBX5 DURING CHICK ORGANOGENESIS

T-box genes encode putative transcription factors implicated in divers e developmental processes (Papaioannou, V.E. and Silver, L.M., 1998. B ioEssays 20, 9-19). We have previously reported the embryonic expressi on patterns of T-box genes in mice (Chapman, D.L., Garvey, N., Hancock , S., Alexiou, M., Agulnik, S.I., Gibson-Brown, J.J., Cebra-Thomas, J. , Bollag, R.J., Silver, L.M., Papaioannou, V.E., 1996. Dev. Dyn. 206, 379-390; Chapman, D.L., Agulnik, I., Hancock, S., Silver, L.M. and Pap aioannou, V.E., 1996. Dev. Biol. 180, 534-542; Gibson-Brown, J.J., Agu lnik, S.I., Chapman, D.L., Alexiou, M., Garvey, N., Silver, L.M., Papa ioannou, V.E., 1996. Mech. Dev. 56, 93-101). Four of these genes (Tbx2 -Tbx5) are represented in the mouse genome as two cognate, linked gene pairs (Agulnik, S.I., Garvey, N., Hancock, S., Ruvinsky, I., Chapman, D.L., Agulnik, I., Bollag, R., Papaioannou, V.E., Silver, L.M., 1996. Genetics 144, 249-254), and have all been implicated in playing impor tant roles in limb development (Gibson-Brown, J.J., Agulnik, S.I., Cha pman, D.L., Alexiou, M., Garvey, N., Silver, L.M., Papaioannou, V.E., 1996. Mech. Dev. 56, 93-101). To investigate the role of these genes i n limb development, we cloned the chicken orthologs and report functio nal studies, as well as patterns of expression in the developing limbs , elsewhere (Gibson-Brown, J.J., Agulnik, S.I., Silver, L.M., Niswande r, L., Papaioannou, V.E., Development. in press). This report details the patterns of expression of Tbx2-Tbx5 in chick embryonic tissues oth er than the limbs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights r eserved.