The mitochondrial genomic material (mtDNA), similarly to nuclear genome, is exposed to a plethora of exogenous and endogenous agents, as well as natural processes like replication that compromise the integrity and fidelity of the mtDNA, despite the abovementioned, the mtDNA does not contain genes involved in DNA repair, therefore mitochondria completely depend on the importation of nuclear-encoded elements to achieve genome maintenance, which implies a coordinated crosstalk between these two organelles. It has been determined that to counteract damage, mitochondria possess well-defined repair pathways quite similar to those of the nucleus, among which are: base excision repair (BER), mismatch repair (MMR), single-strand break repair (SSBR), microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), and probably homology recombination dependent repair (HRR). If these repair pathways are nonfunctional and the lesions remain unrepaired, the emergence of mutations, deletions, and other insults may result in compromised cellular viability and disease.

The remarkable regenerative capabilities of the salamander Ambystoma mexicanum have turned it into one of the principal models to study limb regeneration. During this process, a mass of low differentiated and highly proliferative cells, called blastema, propagates to reestablish the lost tissue in an accelerated way. Such a process implies the replication of a huge genome, 10 times larger than humans, with about 65.6% of repetitive sequences. These features make the axolotl genome inherently difficult to replicate and prone to bear mutations. In this context, the role of DNA repair mechanisms acquires great relevance to maintain genomic stability, especially if we consider the necessity of ensuring the correct replication and integrity of such a large genome in the blastema cells, which are key for tissue regeneration. On the contrary, DNA damage accumulation in these cells may result in senescence, apoptosis and premature differentiation, all of them are mechanisms employed to avoid DNA damage perpetuation but with the potential to affect the limb regeneration process. Here we review and discuss the current knowledge on the implications of DNA damage responses during salamander regeneration.

Background Limb regeneration in the axolotl is achieved by epimorphosis, thus depending on the blastema formation, a mass of progenitor cells capable of proliferating and differentiating to recover all lost structures functionally. During regeneration, the blastema cells accelerate the cell cycle and duplicate its genome, which is inherently difficult to replicate because of its length and composition, thus being prone to suffer double‐strand breaks. Results We identified and characterized two remarkable components of the homologous recombination repair pathway (Amex.RAD51 and Amex.MRE11), which were heterologously expressed, biochemically characterized, and inhibited by specific chemicals. These same inhibitors were applied at different time points after amputation to study their effects during limb regeneration. We observed an increase in cellular senescent accompanied by a slight delay in regeneration at 28 days postamputation regenerated tissues; moreover, inhibitors caused a rise in the double‐strand break signaling as a response to the inhibition of the repair mechanisms. Conclusions We confirmed the participation and importance of homologous recombination during limb regeneration. The chemical inhibition induces double‐strand breaks that lead to DNA damage associated senescence, or in an alternatively way, this damage could be possibly repaired by a different DNA repair pathway, permitting proper regeneration and avoiding senescence.