Figure 3

RT-qPCR products corresponding to Meis2 transcripts are elevated in the bat forelimb compared to hindlimb autopods. The abundance of Meis2 transcripts was quantified by reverse transcriptase and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the E13.5 mouse forelimb autopods and in bat forelimb (FL) and hindlimb (HL) autopods from early stages of autopod patterning (CS15) to late stages of autopod differentiation and growth (CS18), using primers designed to either the 5′ region of Meis2 (5′-Meis2) or to the 3′ region of Meis2 (3′-Meis2). Meis2 transcript abundance was higher in the bat CS17 FL compared to the mouse E13.5 FL, for both primer sets. The transcript abundances of the FL samples were over twofold higher than that of HL from CS16 onwards, with abundance peaking in the CS17 FL. Statistical analyses of these data can be found in the supplementary results.