Germline transgenic methods for tracking cells and testing gene function during regeneration in the axolotl.

The salamander is the only tetrapod that regenerates complex body structures throughout life. Deciphering the underlying molecular processes of regeneration is fundamental for regenerative medicine and developmental biology, but the model organism had limited tools for molecular analysis. We describe a comprehensive set of germline transgenic strains in the laboratory-bred salamander Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) that open up the cellular and molecular genetic dissection of regeneration.

Reprogramming to pluripotency is an ancient trait of vertebrate Oct4 and Pou2 proteins.

The evolutionary origins of the gene network underlying cellular pluripotency, a central theme in developmental biology, have yet to be elucidated. In mammals, Oct4 is a factor crucial in the reprogramming of differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. The Oct4 and Pou2 genes evolved from a POU class V gene ancestor, but it is unknown whether pluripotency induced by Oct4 gene activity is a feature specific to mammals or was already present in ancestral vertebrates.

Reconstitution of the central and peripheral nervous system during salamander tail regeneration.

We show that after tail amputation in Ambystoma mexicanum (Axolotl) the correct number and spacing of dorsal root ganglia are regenerated. By transplantation of spinal cord tissue and nonclonal neurospheres, we show that the central spinal cord represents a source of peripheral nervous system cells. Interestingly, melanophores migrate from preexisting precursors in the skin.

CXCL5 into the upper airways of children with influenza A virus infection.

Background: Neutrophil infiltration is a major feature in the pathogenesis of influenza infection. The factors regulating the neutrophil influx are not fully understood. The chemokine CXCL5/ENA-78 is a potent neutrophil chemoattractant, that has been implicated in several inflammatory diseases.