Click here to close
Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Xenbase and may cause the site to display incorrectly.
We suggest using a current version of Chrome,
FireFox, or Safari.
???displayArticle.abstract???
The remarkable regenerative capabilities of amphibians have captured the attention of biologists for centuries. The frogs Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis undergo temporally restricted regenerative healing of appendage amputations and spinal cord truncations, injuries that are both devastating and relatively common in human patients. Rapidly expanding technological innovations have led to a resurgence of interest in defining the factors that enable regenerative healing, and in coupling these factors to human therapeutic interventions. It is well-established that early embryonic signaling pathways are critical for growth and patterning of new tissue during regeneration. A growing body of research now indicates that early physiological injury responses are also required to initiate a regenerative program, and that these differ in regenerative and non-regenerative contexts. Here we review recent insights into the biophysical, biochemical, and epigenetic processes that underlie regenerative healing in amphibians, focusing particularly on tail and limb regeneration in Xenopus. We also discuss the more elusive potential mechanisms that link wounding to tissue growth and patterning.
FIGURE 1. Cellular processes activated by injury in Xenopus tail regeneration. A regenerative stage 41 tadpole is shown, prior to the onset of independent feeding and the refractory period. Responses to injury that are critical for regeneration include (A) formation of reactive oxygen species such as H2O2 through the action of NOX complexes (purple) and p22-phox/cyba (light purple); (B) bioelectrical signaling mediated by ion channel activation; (C) recruitment of innate immune cell types such as macrophages; (D) epigenetic modifications that affect chromatin accessibility and transcription, and (E) activation of proliferation of blastemal cells and tissue-specific progenitors.
FIGURE 2. Integrative model of regeneration. Experimental evidence reviewed here suggests the five modalities of early wound response and regeneration discussed in this paper are interconnected. Experimentally determined, indirect connections are denoted by dashed lines. (A) ROS has been shown to be one of the most early activated signaling modalities and is upstream of ion channel activity, proliferation, epigenetic modification, and transcription factor activation. (B) Membrane depolarization and ion channel activity have been shown to act upstream of proliferation and innate immune cell recruitment. (C) Innate immune cells are shown to act upstream of proliferation and perhaps release cytokines necessary for successful regeneration. (D) Epigenetic modifications have been profiled to look at repressive and active marks in regeneration. Presence of these marks along with the epigenetic enzymes that remodel chromatin have been shown to be important for regeneration. (E) Cell proliferation appears to be downstream of early wound responses and perhaps part of a transition from wound repair to regeneration.
FIGURE 3. Comparison of physiological phenomena during healing between regenerative and non-regenerative organisms. (A) Color coded boxes correspond to either ROS (purple), changes in membrane potential (yellow), innate immune cell recruitment (orange), epigenetic reprogramming (blue), or tissue-specific stem cell proliferation and differentiation (green). (B-D) Summarization of physiological phenomena either known to be associated with regenerative healing, known to be associated with scarring, or not yet studied (unknown) in regenerative and non-regenerative contexts or species. âPro-regenâ refers to epimorphic regeneration as described in this review. âPro-scarringâ refers to injuries that undergo wound healing and scarring. (B) Regeneration or scarring of the epithelium in tadpoles (left), late-metamorphic froglets with minimal regeneration (middle), non-regenerative mammals (right). (C) Regeneration or scarring of the spinal cord. (D) Regeneration or scarring of the amphibian limb and mammalian digit tip. 1In adult frogs and mammals, the epidermal layer regenerates, however, the dermis is replaced by fibrous tissue.
Aboobaker,
Planarian stem cells: a simple paradigm for regeneration.
2011, Pubmed
Aboobaker,
Planarian stem cells: a simple paradigm for regeneration.
2011,
Pubmed
Adams,
Light-activation of the Archaerhodopsin H(+)-pump reverses age-dependent loss of vertebrate regeneration: sparking system-level controls in vivo.
2013,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Adams,
H+ pump-dependent changes in membrane voltage are an early mechanism necessary and sufficient to induce Xenopus tail regeneration.
2007,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Aguilar,
DNA Methylation Dynamics Regulate the Formation of a Regenerative Wound Epithelium during Axolotl Limb Regeneration.
2015,
Pubmed
Ahuja,
Traumatic spinal cord injury.
2017,
Pubmed
Beck,
Molecular pathways needed for regeneration of spinal cord and muscle in a vertebrate.
2003,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Beck,
Beyond early development: Xenopus as an emerging model for the study of regenerative mechanisms.
2009,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Belousov,
Genetically encoded fluorescent indicator for intracellular hydrogen peroxide.
2006,
Pubmed
Busse,
Cross-limb communication during Xenopus hindlimb regenerative response: non-local bioelectric injury signals.
2018,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Cannata,
Nerve-independence of limb regeneration in larval Xenopus laevis is correlated to the level of fgf-2 mRNA expression in limb tissues.
2001,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Chang,
Transcriptional dynamics of tail regeneration in Xenopus tropicalis.
2017,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Chen,
Tadpole tail regeneration in Xenopus.
2014,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Chen,
Control of muscle regeneration in the Xenopus tadpole tail by Pax7.
2006,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Choi,
Regeneration and Regrowth Potentials of Digit Tips in Amphibians and Mammals.
2017,
Pubmed
Christen,
Regeneration-specific expression pattern of three posterior Hox genes.
2003,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Denko,
Hypoxia, HIF1 and glucose metabolism in the solid tumour.
2008,
Pubmed
DENT,
Limb regeneration in larvae and metamorphosing individuals of the South African clawed toad.
1962,
Pubmed
Farkas,
Neuregulin-1 signaling is essential for nerve-dependent axolotl limb regeneration.
2016,
Pubmed
Fei,
Efficient gene knockin in axolotl and its use to test the role of satellite cells in limb regeneration.
2017,
Pubmed
Fei,
CRISPR-mediated genomic deletion of Sox2 in the axolotl shows a requirement in spinal cord neural stem cell amplification during tail regeneration.
2014,
Pubmed
Ferreira,
Early bioelectric activities mediate redox-modulated regeneration.
2016,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Ferreira,
Early redox activities modulate Xenopus tail regeneration.
2018,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Filoni,
Comparative analysis of the regenerative capacity of caudal spinal cord in larvae of serveral Anuran amphibian species.
,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Franklin,
Ion channel signaling influences cellular proliferation and phagocyte activity during axolotl tail regeneration.
2017,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Gaete,
Spinal cord regeneration in Xenopus tadpoles proceeds through activation of Sox2-positive cells.
2012,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Gargioli,
Cell lineage tracing during Xenopus tail regeneration.
2004,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Godwin,
Macrophages are required for adult salamander limb regeneration.
2013,
Pubmed
Gurtner,
Wound repair and regeneration.
2008,
Pubmed
Hayashi,
Transcriptional regulators in the Hippo signaling pathway control organ growth in Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration.
2014,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Hayashi,
Epigenetic modification maintains intrinsic limb-cell identity in Xenopus limb bud regeneration.
2015,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Ho,
TGF-beta signaling is required for multiple processes during Xenopus tail regeneration.
2008,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Knapp,
Comparative transcriptional profiling of the axolotl limb identifies a tripartite regeneration-specific gene program.
2013,
Pubmed
Kolaczkowska,
Neutrophil recruitment and function in health and inflammation.
2013,
Pubmed
Kragl,
Cells keep a memory of their tissue origin during axolotl limb regeneration.
2009,
Pubmed
Kryczka,
Leukocytes: The Double-Edged Sword in Fibrosis.
2015,
Pubmed
Lai,
Reciprocal analyses in zebrafish and medaka reveal that harnessing the immune response promotes cardiac regeneration.
2017,
Pubmed
Lee-Liu,
Genome-wide expression profile of the response to spinal cord injury in Xenopus laevis reveals extensive differences between regenerative and non-regenerative stages.
2014,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Lin,
Requirement for Wnt and FGF signaling in Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration.
2008,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Love,
Carbohydrate metabolism during vertebrate appendage regeneration: what is its role? How is it regulated?: A postulation that regenerating vertebrate appendages facilitate glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways to fuel macromolecule biosynthesis.
2014,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Love,
Amputation-induced reactive oxygen species are required for successful Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration.
2013,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Love,
Genome-wide analysis of gene expression during Xenopus tropicalis tadpole tail regeneration.
2011,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Makanae,
Co-operative Bmp- and Fgf-signaling inputs convert skin wound healing to limb formation in urodele amphibians.
2014,
Pubmed
McCusker,
The axolotl limb blastema: cellular and molecular mechanisms driving blastema formation and limb regeneration in tetrapods.
2015,
Pubmed
McCusker,
Cartilage and bone cells do not participate in skeletal regeneration in Ambystoma mexicanum limbs.
2016,
Pubmed
Mescher,
Changes in the inflammatory response to injury and its resolution during the loss of regenerative capacity in developing Xenopus limbs.
2013,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Monteiro,
V-ATPase proton pumping activity is required for adult zebrafish appendage regeneration.
2014,
Pubmed
Morrison,
Salamander limb regeneration involves the activation of a multipotent skeletal muscle satellite cell population.
2006,
Pubmed
Muñoz,
Regeneration of Xenopus laevis spinal cord requires Sox2/3 expressing cells.
2015,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Pai,
Genome-wide analysis reveals conserved transcriptional responses downstream of resting potential change in Xenopus embryos, axolotl regeneration, and human mesenchymal cell differentiation.
2016,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Paré,
Bioelectric regulation of innate immune system function in regenerating and intact Xenopus laevis.
2017,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Paredes,
Xenopus: An in vivo model for imaging the inflammatory response following injury and bacterial infection.
2015,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Rojas-Muñoz,
ErbB2 and ErbB3 regulate amputation-induced proliferation and migration during vertebrate regeneration.
2009,
Pubmed
Rosales,
Neutrophil: A Cell with Many Roles in Inflammation or Several Cell Types?
2018,
Pubmed
Sánchez Alvarado,
Stem cells and the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea.
2007,
Pubmed
Santabárbara-Ruiz,
ROS-Induced JNK and p38 Signaling Is Required for Unpaired Cytokine Activation during Drosophila Regeneration.
2015,
Pubmed
Simkin,
Macrophages are necessary for epimorphic regeneration in African spiny mice.
2017,
Pubmed
Simões,
Denervation impairs regeneration of amputated zebrafish fins.
2014,
Pubmed
SINGER,
The growth and morphogenesis of the regenerating forelimb of adult Triturus following denervation at various stages of development.
1948,
Pubmed
Stewart,
Comparative RNA-seq analysis in the unsequenced axolotl: the oncogene burst highlights early gene expression in the blastema.
2013,
Pubmed
Sugiura,
Xenopus Wnt-5a induces an ectopic larval tail at injured site, suggesting a crucial role for noncanonical Wnt signal in tail regeneration.
2009,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Suzuki,
In vivo tracking of histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation in Xenopus laevis during tail regeneration.
2016,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Suzuki,
Limb regeneration in Xenopus laevis froglet.
2006,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tanaka,
The Molecular and Cellular Choreography of Appendage Regeneration.
2016,
Pubmed
Taniguchi,
Spinal cord is required for proper regeneration of the tail in Xenopus tadpoles.
2008,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Taniguchi,
Notochord-derived hedgehog is essential for tail regeneration in Xenopus tadpole.
2014,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tapia,
JAK-STAT pathway activation in response to spinal cord injury in regenerative and non-regenerative stages of Xenopus laevis.
2017,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Taylor,
Histone deacetylases are required for amphibian tail and limb regeneration but not development.
2012,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tseng,
Transducing bioelectric signals into epigenetic pathways during tadpole tail regeneration.
2012,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tseng,
Induction of vertebrate regeneration by a transient sodium current.
2010,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tseng,
HDAC activity is required during Xenopus tail regeneration.
2011,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tsujioka,
interleukin-11 induces and maintains progenitors of different cell lineages during Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration.
2017,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Tsujioka,
Unique gene expression profile of the proliferating Xenopus tadpole tail blastema cells deciphered by RNA-sequencing analysis.
2015,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Vander Heiden,
Understanding the Warburg effect: the metabolic requirements of cell proliferation.
2009,
Pubmed
Villiard,
Urodele p53 tolerates amino acid changes found in p53 variants linked to human cancer.
2007,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
Wilgus,
Neutrophils and Wound Repair: Positive Actions and Negative Reactions.
2013,
Pubmed
Yakushiji,
Correlation between Shh expression and DNA methylation status of the limb-specific Shh enhancer region during limb regeneration in amphibians.
2007,
Pubmed
,
Xenbase
YNTEMA,
Regeneration in sparsely innervated and aneurogenic forelimbs of Amblystoma larvae.
1959,
Pubmed
Yun,
Regulation of p53 is critical for vertebrate limb regeneration.
2013,
Pubmed