Identification and validation of gene expression changes upon removal of Dicer in the murine limb mesenchyme. Mus musculus

Wild type and Dicer null embryonic mouse limbs were analaysed using Affymetrix arrays to identify gene expression changes. Genes that were up-regulated in Dicer-null limbs were canidates for being miRNA targets. Potential miRNA target genes were validated using qRTPCR. Overall design: Mice carrying a heterozygous Dicer floxed allele and the prxcre driver allele were crossed to homozygous Dicer Floxed mice. Embryos were harvested from pregent moms and genotyped to determine heterozygous, Wild type and mutant limb buds. These limb buds were used to prepare RNA for array analysis.