[Progress on polydactyly character of vertebrate].

Polydactyly is a common abnormal limb phenotype in vertebrate and there is similar limb phenotype among different species. Research shows that polydactyly has a similar development mechanism, and this kind of polydactyly character seems to be controlled by homologous genes among species. The latest research results on human and mouse further shows that PPD should be caused by the disruption of a long range cis-acting regulator for Shh within Lmbr1 intron. Here the development mechanism and related genes controlling polydactyly character of vertebrate are reviewed.