A zone of mesoderm in the neurulating embryo that flanks the neural tube and develops at the same time as the neural tube. Paraxial (or presomitic) mesodermal cells give rise to somites, that run along either side of the neural tube, and form muscle and dorsal region tissues, including connective tissue and skin.
Molecular mechanism The fate of paraxial and mesodermal tissues is specified by bone morphogenetic proteins–BMPs, which belong to the fibroblast growth factor receptor family. That fate is also regulated by Noggin, a downstream regulator of the Wnt pathway, which antagonizes BMP signaling.