Sufu and Kif7 in limb patterning and development

Abstract

The vertebrate digit pattern is defined by the morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh), which controls the activity of Gli transcription factors. Gli1, 2 and 3 are dynamically expressed during patterning. Downstream of Shh, their activity is regulated by Sufu and Kif7, core components of the Shh signaling cascade. The precise roles of these regulators during limb development have not been fully described. We analyze the role of Sufu and Kif7 in the limb and demonstrate that their loss has distinct and synergistic effects on Gli activity and digit pattern. Using a series of mouse mutants, we show that Sufu and Kif7 are expressed throughout limb development and their deletion has distinct effects on Gli levels and limb formation. Concomitant deletion of Sufu and Kif7 results in constitutive pathway activity and severe limb truncation. This is consistent with the recently published two-population model, which suggests that precocious activation of Shh signaling inhibits organizing center formation and limb outgrowth. Together, our findings demonstrate that perturbations of Sufu and Kif7 affect Gli activity and recapitulate the full spectrum of vertebrate limb defects, ranging from severe truncation to polydactyly.