Fig. 1

Schematic diagram of mesoderm formation and patterning during vertebrate early development. a Mesoderm precursors located in the primitive streak (PS) undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrate between the ectoderm and endoderm germ layers to their final destinations in a spatially and temporally coordinated manner (white stippled lines). b Major mesoderm lineages (axial, paraxial, intermediate, lateral plate and extraembryonic) are laid out along the medio-lateral axis of the early embryo. IM: intermediate mesoderm; LPM: lateral plate mesoderm; ExEM: extraembryonic mesoderm; NT: neural tube; NC: neural crest. White stippled line represents the boundary between the LPM and ExEM