Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration

Abstract The axolotl retains a remarkable capacity for regenerative repair and is one of the few vertebrate species capable of regenerating its brain and spinal cord after injury. To date, studies investigating axolotl spinal cord regeneration have placed particular emphasis on understanding how cel...

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Main Authors: SE Walker, K. Yu, S. Burgess, K. Echeverri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:npj Regenerative Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-025-00413-2
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author SE Walker
K. Yu
S. Burgess
K. Echeverri
author_facet SE Walker
K. Yu
S. Burgess
K. Echeverri
author_sort SE Walker
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The axolotl retains a remarkable capacity for regenerative repair and is one of the few vertebrate species capable of regenerating its brain and spinal cord after injury. To date, studies investigating axolotl spinal cord regeneration have placed particular emphasis on understanding how cells immediately adjacent to the injury site respond to damage to promote regenerative repair. How neurons outside of this immediate injury site respond to an injury remains unknown. Here, we identify a population of dpErk+/etv1 + glutamatergic neurons in the axolotl telencephalon that are activated in response to injury and are essential for tail regeneration. Furthermore, these neurons project to the hypothalamus where they upregulate the neuropeptide neurotensin in response to injury. Together, these findings identify a unique population of neurons in the axolotl brain whose activation is necessary for successful tail regeneration, and sheds light on how neurons outside of the immediate injury site respond to an injury.
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issn 2057-3995
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series npj Regenerative Medicine
spelling doaj-art-286a4ee076324b00abe34d719e65bd0b2025-08-20T03:09:34ZengNature Portfolionpj Regenerative Medicine2057-39952025-05-0110111710.1038/s41536-025-00413-2Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regenerationSE Walker0K. Yu1S. Burgess2K. Echeverri3Marine Biological Laboratory, Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative BiologyTranslational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthTranslational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthMarine Biological Laboratory, Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative BiologyAbstract The axolotl retains a remarkable capacity for regenerative repair and is one of the few vertebrate species capable of regenerating its brain and spinal cord after injury. To date, studies investigating axolotl spinal cord regeneration have placed particular emphasis on understanding how cells immediately adjacent to the injury site respond to damage to promote regenerative repair. How neurons outside of this immediate injury site respond to an injury remains unknown. Here, we identify a population of dpErk+/etv1 + glutamatergic neurons in the axolotl telencephalon that are activated in response to injury and are essential for tail regeneration. Furthermore, these neurons project to the hypothalamus where they upregulate the neuropeptide neurotensin in response to injury. Together, these findings identify a unique population of neurons in the axolotl brain whose activation is necessary for successful tail regeneration, and sheds light on how neurons outside of the immediate injury site respond to an injury.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-025-00413-2
spellingShingle SE Walker
K. Yu
S. Burgess
K. Echeverri
Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
npj Regenerative Medicine
title Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
title_full Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
title_fullStr Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
title_full_unstemmed Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
title_short Neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
title_sort neuronal activation in the axolotl brain promotes tail regeneration
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-025-00413-2
work_keys_str_mv AT sewalker neuronalactivationintheaxolotlbrainpromotestailregeneration
AT kyu neuronalactivationintheaxolotlbrainpromotestailregeneration
AT sburgess neuronalactivationintheaxolotlbrainpromotestailregeneration
AT kecheverri neuronalactivationintheaxolotlbrainpromotestailregeneration