Among tetrapods, only salamanders can regenerate their limbs and tails throughout life. This amazing regenerative ability has attracted the attention of scientists for hundreds of years. Now that large, salamander genomes are beginning to be sequenced for the first time, omics tools and approaches can be used to integrate new perspectives into the study of tissue regeneration. Here we argue the need to move beyond the primary salamander models to investigate regeneration in other species. Salamanders at first glance come across as a phylogenetically conservative group that has not diverged greatly from their ancestors. While salamanders do present ancestral characteristics of basal tetrapods, including the ability to regenerate limbs, data from fossils and data from studies that have tested for species differences suggest there may be considerable variation in how salamanders develop and regenerate their limbs. We review the case for expanded studies of salamander tissue regeneration and identify questions and approaches that are most likely to reveal commonalities and differences in regeneration among species. We also address challenges that confront such an initiative, some of which are regulatory and not scientific. The time is right to gain evolutionary perspective about mechanisms of tissue regeneration from comparative studies of salamander species.
Pubmed ID: 31584252 RIS Download
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Maintains breeding colony of Mexican axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) that distributes axolotl embryos, larvae, and adults to laboratories and classrooms throughout the United States and abroad. Their mission is to serve biology research programs and educators by providing experimental material and expertise and by encouraging and facilitating the exchange of information and ideas.
View all literature mentionsPortal that supports Ambystoma-related research and educational efforts. It is composed of several resources: Salamander Genome Project, Ambystoma EST Database, Ambystoma Gene Collection, Ambystoma Map and Marker Collection, Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, and Ambystoma Research Coordination Network.
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