Reconstitution of the central and peripheral nervous system during salamander tail regeneration

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Aug 21;109(34):E2258-66. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1116738109. Epub 2012 Jul 24.

Abstract

We show that after tail amputation in Ambystoma mexicanum (Axolotl) the correct number and spacing of dorsal root ganglia are regenerated. By transplantation of spinal cord tissue and nonclonal neurospheres, we show that the central spinal cord represents a source of peripheral nervous system cells. Interestingly, melanophores migrate from preexisting precursors in the skin. Finally, we demonstrate that implantation of a clonally derived spinal cord neurosphere can result in reconstitution of all examined cell types in the regenerating central spinal cord, suggesting derivation of a cell with spinal cord stem cell properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System / physiology*
  • Ganglia, Spinal / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peripheral Nervous System / physiology*
  • Regeneration / physiology*
  • Spinal Cord / cytology
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Tail / physiology*
  • Urodela

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • homeobox protein HOXA9
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins