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Effects of activation of hedgehog signaling on patterning, growth, and differentiation in Xenopus froglet limb regeneration
Author(s) -
Yakushiji Nayuta,
Suzuki Makoto,
Satoh Akira,
Ide Hiroyuki,
Tamura Koji
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.22011
Subject(s) - blastema , xenopus , biology , anatomy , regeneration (biology) , mesenchyme , hedgehog , microbiology and biotechnology , limb development , zebrafish , sonic hedgehog , chondrogenesis , limb bud , signal transduction , gene , cartilage , genetics , mesenchymal stem cell , embryo
Abstract Regenerating limbs of urodele amphibians and Xenopus tadpole are reconstructed along proximal–distal, anterior–posterior (AP), and dorsal–ventral axes. In contrast, a regenerated limb of the Xenopus froglet does not have digits, and only a simple cartilaginous structure referred to as a “spike” is formed. This suggests that repatterning along the AP axis is absent in the froglet blastema. Previous studies have shown that Shh and its target genes are not expressed in the froglet blastema. In this study, we activated Hedgehog signaling in the froglet blastema and found that target genes of Shh were inducible in the mesenchyme of limb blastema. Furthermore, we found that activation of the signaling had effects on blastema cell proliferation and chondrogenesis and resulted in the formation of multiple cartilaginous structures. These findings indicate that activation of signaling that is absent in the froglet blastema is effective for improvement of limb regeneration ability in the Xenopus froglet. Developmental Dynamics, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.