The fusion of digits or toes, syndactyly, can be part of complex syndromes, including van der Woude syndrome. A subset of van der Woude cases is caused by dominant-negative mutations in the epithelial transcription factor Grainyhead like-3 (GRHL3), and Grhl3^-/-mice have soft-tissue syndactyly. Although impaired interdigital cell death of mesenchymal cells causes syndactyly in multiple genetic mutants, Grhl3^-/- embryos had normal interdigital cell death, suggesting alternative mechanisms for syndactyly. We found that in digit separation, the overlying epidermis forms a migrating interdigital epithelial tongue (IET) when the epithelium invaginates to separate the digits. Normally, the non-adhesive surface periderm allows the IET to bifurcate as the digits separate. In contrast, in Grhl3^-/- embryos, the IET moves normally between the digits but fails to bifurcate because of abnormal adhesion of the periderm. Our study identifies epidermal developmental processes required for digit separation.

The fusion of digits or toes, syndactyly, can be part of complex syndromes, including van der Woude syndrome. A subset of van der Woude cases is caused by dominant-negative mutations in the epithelial transcription factor Grainyhead like-3 (GRHL3), and Grhl3^-/-mice have soft-tissue syndactyly. Although impaired interdigital cell death of mesenchymal cells causes syndactyly in multiple genetic mutants, Grhl3^-/- embryos had normal interdigital cell death, suggesting alternative mechanisms for syndactyly. We found that in digit separation, the overlying epidermis forms a migrating interdigital epithelial tongue (IET) when the epithelium invaginates to separate the digits. Normally, the non-adhesive surface periderm allows the IET to bifurcate as the digits separate. In contrast, in Grhl3^-/- embryos, the IET moves normally between the digits but fails to bifurcate because of abnormal adhesion of the periderm. Our study identifies epidermal developmental processes required for digit separation.