We present evidence for the existence of two phases of retinoic acid (RA) signaling required for vertebrate limb development. Limb RA synthesis is under the control of retinaldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (Raldh2) expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm, which generates a proximodistal RA signal during limb outgrowth. We report that Raldh2-/- embryos lack trunk mesodermal RA activity and fail to initiate forelimb development. This is associated with deficient

Studies in amphibian embryos have suggested that retinoic acid (RA) may function as a signal that stimulates posterior differentiation of the nervous system as postulated by the activation-transformation model for anteroposterior patterning of the nervous system. We have tested this hypothesis in retinaldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (Raldh2) null mutant mice lacking RA synthesis in the somitic mesoderm. Raldh2-/- embryos exhibited neural induction (activation)

Retinoic acid (RA) generated by Raldh2 in paraxial mesoderm is required for specification of the posterior hindbrain, including restriction of Hoxb1 expression to presumptive rhombomere 4 (r4). Hoxb1 expression requires 3' and 5' RA response elements for widespread induction up to r4 and for r3/r5 repression, but RA has previously been detected only from r5-r8, and vHnf1 is required for repression of Hoxb1 posterior to r4 in zebrafish. We demonstrate