![]() In addition, this system has been valuable in elucidating additional mechanisms involved during tissue regeneration, such as the role of extracellular components, apoptosis, transcription factors and electrical signals. Elegant studies using this model have uncovered important roles for FGF, Wnt, BMP and TGFβ signaling during tail regeneration. The Xenopus tadpole tail represents a particularly interesting regenerating appendage, as it contains many axial and paraxial tissues, including the spinal cord, notochord, dorsal aorta, and skeletal muscle, of which all regenerate following amputation. In recent years, the Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration model has emerged as a powerful system for the study of vertebrate appendage regeneration (reviewed in ). Despite ongoing investigation, we still lack a clear molecular understanding of the mechanisms and pathways responsible for vertebrate appendage regeneration. Frogs, particularly during their larval tadpoles stages, have remarkable capacities to regenerate tissues following traumatic injury (reviewed in ). For example, certain newts and salamanders completely regenerate limbs, tails, jaw, and eye lens following removal (reviewed in ). Some vertebrates, however, possess remarkable capacities to regenerate complex body parts following injury (reviewed ). Humans have a limited capacity to regenerate, and thus, severe injuries result in unsightly scarring, loss of function and disfigurement (reviewed in ). We have produced a novel and substantial microarray data set examining gene expression during vertebrate appendage regeneration. The Xenopus tropicalis tadpole is a powerful model to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of vertebrate appendage regeneration. Meta-analyses of the array data and validation by RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization uncovered a subset of genes upregulated during the early and intermediate phases of regeneration that are involved in the generation of NADP/H, suggesting that these pathways may be important for proper tail regeneration. Target validation, using RT-qPCR followed by gene ontology (GO) analysis, revealed a dynamic regulation of genes involved in the inflammatory response, intracellular metabolism, and energy regulation. We examined gene expression using the Xenopus tropicalis Affymetrix genome array during three phases of regeneration, uncovering more than 1,000 genes that are significantly modulated during tail regeneration. We found that, like the traditionally used Xenopus laevis, the Xenopus tropicalis tadpole has the capacity to regenerate its tail following amputation, including its spinal cord, muscle, and major blood vessels. Here, we explore tadpole tail regeneration in Xenopus tropicalis, a diploid frog with a sequenced genome. Uncovering these mechanisms may lead to novel therapies aimed at alleviating human disfigurement and visible loss of function following injury. The molecular mechanisms governing vertebrate appendage regeneration remain poorly understood.
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