Ectoderm to Mesoderm Lineage Switching during Axolotl Tail Regeneration

Karen Echeverri, Elly Tanaka

Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Max Planck Institute, Dresden

Foreign environments may induce adult stem cells to switch lineages and populate multiple tissue types but it remains uncertain if this mechanism is used for tissue repair. Urodele amphibians can regenerate fully functional, multi-tissue structures including the limb and tail. To determine if lineage switching is an integral feature of this regeneration, we followed individual spinal cord cells live during tail regeneration in the axolotl. Spinal cord cells frequently migrate into surrounding tissue to form regenerating muscle and cartilage. Thus, in axolotls, cells switch lineage during a real example of regeneration.