Studying Mechanisms of Regeneration in Amphibian and Reptilian Vertebrate Models

Abstract

Regeneration, or the de novo formation of new organs, is observed in many different classes of vertebrates (reviewed in Alibardi, 2010). In teleost fishes, regeneration of heart muscle as well as the cartilage, nerves, and skin of tail fins have been characterized (reviewed in Poss, 2010; Tanaka and Ferretti, 2009). Anurans and urodele amphibians have both been the subject of classic studies of regeneration. The salamander is capable of regeneration of both limbs and tail following amputation, and the Xenopus laevis frog can regrow these structures at the tadpole stage (reviewed in Tanaka and Ferretti, 2009; Han et al., 2005; Slack et al., 2008). Among amniote vertebrates, lizards retain substantial capacity for regeneration of the skin, musculoskeletal and nervous tissues after loss of the tail (reviewed in Alibardi, 2010). This issue features studies of regeneration in amphibian and reptilian vertebrate models.