Transcription profiling of mouse forelimb autopods and genital buds from wild type and homozygous Del9 E12.5 embryos

Despite the importance of Hox genes in patterning the mouse embryo, few target genes of the Hox transcription factors have been identified. To search for HoxD targets we contrasted gene expression profiles in the presence and absence of the HoxD genes in two tissues where these genes are important in embryonic patterning-the genital bud and the distal domain of the limb. The Del9 mutant, in which all nine HoxD genes are absent, shows perturbed digit and genital morphogenesis. Therefore we used Affymetrix GeneChip arrays to compare gene expression in forelimb autopods and genital buds from wild type and homozygous Del9 E12.5 embryos.