Salamanders regenerate appendages via a progenitor pool called the blastema. The cellular mechanisms underlying regeneration of muscle have been much debated but have remained unclear. Here we applied Cre-loxP genetic fate mapping to skeletal muscle during limb regeneration in two salamander species, Notophthalmus viridescens (newt) and Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl). Remarkably, we found that myofiber dedifferentiation is an integral part of limb regeneration in the newt, but not in axolotl. In the newt, myofiber fragmentation results in proliferating, PAX7(-) mononuclear cells in the blastema that give rise to the skeletal muscle in the new limb. In contrast, myofibers in axolotl do not generate proliferating cells, and do not contribute to newly regenerated muscle; instead, resident PAX7(+) cells provide the regeneration activity. Our results therefore show significant diversity in limb muscle regeneration mechanisms among salamanders and suggest that multiple strategies may be feasible for inducing regeneration in other species, including mammals.

The metabolic pathways that produce 11-cis retinal are important for vision because this retinoid is the chromophore residing in rhodopsin and the cone opsins. The all-trans retinal that is generated after cone and rod photopigments absorb photons of light is recycled back to 11-cis retinal by the retinal pigment epithelium and Müller cells of the retina. Several of the enzymes involved have recently been purified and molecularly cloned; here we focus on 11-cis retinol dehydrogenase (encoded by the gene RDH5; chromosome 12q13-14; ref. 4), the first cloned enzyme in this pathway. This microsomal enzyme is abundant in the retinal pigment epithelium, where it has been proposed to catalyse the conversion of 11-cis retinol to 11-cis retinal. We evaluated patients with hereditary retinal diseases featuring subretinal spots (retinitis punctata albescens and fundus albipunctatus) and patients with typical dominant or recessive retinitis pigmentosa for mutations in RDH5. Mutations were found only in two unrelated patients, both with fundus albipunctatus; they segregated with disease in the respective families. Recombinant mutant 11-cis retinol dehydrogenases had reduced activity compared with recombinant enzyme with wild-type sequence. Our results suggest that mutant alleles in RDH5 are a cause of fundus albipunctatus, a rare form of stationary night blindness characterized by a delay in the regeneration of cone and rod photopigments.

In contrast to mammals, salamanders can regenerate complex structures after injury, including entire limbs. A central question is whether the generation of progenitor cells during limb regeneration and mammalian tissue repair occur via separate or overlapping mechanisms. Limb regeneration depends on the formation of a blastema, from which the new appendage develops. Dedifferentiation of stump tissues, such as skeletal muscle, precedes blastema formation, but it was not known whether dedifferentiation involves stem cell activation. We describe a multipotent Pax7+ satellite cell population located within the skeletal muscle of the salamander limb. We demonstrate that skeletal muscle dedifferentiation involves satellite cell activation and that these cells can contribute to new limb tissues. Activation of salamander satellite cells occurs in an analogous manner to how the mammalian myofiber mobilizes stem cells during skeletal muscle tissue repair. Thus, limb regeneration and mammalian tissue repair share common cellular and molecular programs. Our findings also identify satellite cells as potential targets in promoting mammalian blastema formation.

Salamanders exhibit an extraordinary ability among vertebrates to regenerate complex body parts. However, scarce genomic resources have limited our understanding of regeneration in adult salamanders. Here, we present the ~20 Gb genome and transcriptome of the Iberian ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl, a tractable species suitable for laboratory research. We find that embryonic stem cell-specific miRNAs mir-93b and mir-427/430/302, as well as Harbinger DNA transposons carrying the Myb-like proto-oncogene have expanded dramatically in the Pleurodeles waltl genome and are co-expressed during limb regeneration. Moreover, we find that a family of salamander methyltransferases is expressed specifically in adult appendages. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to perturb transcription factors, we demonstrate that, unlike the axolotl, Pax3 is present and necessary for development and that contrary to mammals, muscle regeneration is normal without functional Pax7 gene. Our data provide a foundation for comparative genomic studies that generate models for the uneven distribution of regenerative capacities among vertebrates.

SummaryIt was long thought that no new neurons are added to the adult brain. Similarly, neurotransmitter signaling was primarily associated with communication between differentiated neurons. Both of these ideas have been challenged, and a crosstalk between neurogenesis and neurotransmitter signaling is beginning to emerge. In this Review, we discuss neurotransmitter signaling as it functions at the intersection of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, exploring how it may regulate the formation of new functional neurons and outlining interactions with other signaling pathways. We consider evolutionary and cross-species comparative aspects, and integrate available results in the context of normal physiological versus pathological conditions. We also discuss the potential role of neurotransmitters in brain size regulation and implications for cell replacement therapies. Key words: Adult neurogenesis, Homeostasis, Neural stem cell, Neurotransmitter, Regeneration IntroductionIn the brain, signaling via neurotransmitters, small molecules released by neurons to communicate with other cells, has primarily been associated with the function rather than with the formation of neurons. However, several reports have identified roles for neurotransmitters in cell fate determination in a wide range of species both within and outside the central nervous system (CNS). A thorough discussion on the evolutionary origin of neurotransmitter signaling is outside the scope of this Review, but it is important to note that both neurotransmitters and their receptors (see Table 1) are present and functionally important in organisms without a nervous system. For example, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate and nitric oxide (NO) have all been detected in sponges and shown to regulate cell behavior (Ellwanger et al., 2007;Elliott and Leys, 2010). A recent transcriptome profiling of the sponge A. queenslandica revealed the expression of wide repertoire of components active in synapses found in the vertebrate nervous systems (Conaco et al., 2012). In the social amoeba Dictysotelium, disruption of a glutamate receptor by homologous recombination reveals a role for glutamate signaling in the suppression of cell division (Taniura et al., 2006), while GABA induces terminal differentiation of spores through a GABA B receptor (Anjard and Loomis, 2006). GABA and glutamate appear to play opposing roles in spore induction (Fountain, 2010) in Dictyostelium, indicating that the apparent antagonistic relationship between glutamate and GABA signaling was established prior to the evolution of synaptic communication in the CNS.Furthermore, neurotransmitters control cell proliferation during development long before the onset of neurogenesis in mammals, as exemplified by GABA signaling in the early embryo (Andäng et al., 2008). Once developmental neurogenesis is initiated, neurotransmitter signaling has an impact on several aspects of neurogenesis, including proliferation, migration and differentiation in various locations in the CNS, such as the tele...

Salamanders have been hailed as champions of regeneration, exhibiting a remarkable ability to regrow tissues, organs and even whole body parts, e.g. their limbs. As such, salamanders have provided key insights into the mechanisms by which cells, tissues and organs sense and regenerate missing or damaged parts. In this Primer, we cover the evolutionary context in which salamanders emerged. We outline the varieties of mechanisms deployed during salamander regeneration, and discuss how these mechanisms are currently being explored and how they have advanced our understanding of animal regeneration. We also present arguments about why it is important to study closely related species in regeneration research.

Limb regeneration is observed in certain members of the animal phyla. Some animals keep this ability during their entire life while others lose it at some time during development. How do animals regenerate limbs? Is it possible to find unifying, conserved mechanisms of limb regeneration or have different species evolved distinct means of replacing a lost limb? How is limb regeneration similar or different to limb development? Studies on many organisms, including echinoderms, arthropods, and chordates have provided significant knowledge about limb regeneration. In this focus article, we concentrate on tetrapod limb regeneration as studied in three model amphibians: newts, axolotls, and frogs. We review recent progress on tissue interactions during limb regeneration, and place those findings into an evolutionary context.

Death and lack of functional regeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, decreased DA input in the target striatum and movement anomalies characterise Parkinson's disease (PD). There is currently no cure for PD. One way to promote recovery would be to induce or enhance DA neurogenesis. Whether DA neurogenesis occurs in the adult midbrain is a matter of debate. Here, we describe the creation of a salamander 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD to examine midbrain DA regeneration. We demonstrate a robust and complete regeneration of the mesencephalic and diencephalic DA system after elimination of DA neurons. Regeneration is contributed by DA neurogenesis, leads to histological restoration, and to full recovery of motor behaviour. Molecular analyses of the temporal expression pattern of DA determinants indicate that the regenerating DA neurons mature along a similar developmental program as their mammalian counterparts during embryogenesis. We also find that the adult salamander midbrain can reactivate radial glia-like ependymoglia cells that proliferate. The salamander model provides insights into the mechanisms of DA regeneration/neurogenesis and may contribute to the development of novel regenerative strategies for the mammalian brain.