Fig. 2

Schematic diagram of somatic LPM morphogenesis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the epithelial somatic LPM produces a homogenous mesenchymal cell population located between the ectoderm and the remaining LPM epithelium. These mesenchymal cells differentiate into many mesoderm lineageslineages, including the adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts. MSCs are hypothesized to exist both in the naïve somatic LPM population and in a more differentiated LPM tissue environment