
ALT Fig. 2. According to the traditional concept of mesenchyme, during embryonic development, mesenchymal-like tissues form through EMT from epithelial-shaped tissues in two major steps at the early stages of gastrulation. Specifically, the primary mesenchyme originates from the epiblast to form mesoderm and primitive endoderm; this process is regarded as the prototype of EMT. Subsequently, the mesoderm reverts to an epithelial morphology to generate transient embryonic structures, including somites, which then undergo a further round of EMT to generate secondary mesenchyme. Secondary mesenchyme is considered the embryonic connective tissue and provides the precursors of the connective tissues of the adult body.

ALT Call for Papers! Submit to the Splicing in Development and Disease Special Issue! Submission deadline: October 1, 2025. Guest editor: Natoya Peart, University of Waterloo, Canada. This special issue will address and highlight current understanding and gaps in knowledge about the role of splicing both constitutive and alternative in the development and how disruption of these processes leads to disease.






















