• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.462-468
• /
• 2012

Urodeles including newt and salamander have remarkable regenerative capacity during the postembryonic life span. Some of the unique features are the formation of the well-developed wound epidermis and the active dedifferentiation process in the early phase of regeneration. These are regarded as key events for the successful regeneration since no further regenerative activity is possible without them. In this study, we investigated the role of retinoic acid (RA) in salamander limb regeneration by blocking RA synthesis using disulfiram, an inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase that oxidizes retinal to RA. Disulfiram treatment resulted in delaying the limb regeneration processes via inhibition of wound epidermis formation and dedifferentiation process. When RA was administered after disulfiram treatment, the inhibitory effect of disulfiram was rescued. In addition, disulfiram treatment after the dedifferentiation stage resulted in the mild retardation of limb regeneration, suggesting that RA might also be involved in the blastema outgrowth. Furthermore, salamander MMP-9 gene expression was also inhibited by disulfiram treatment. Collectively, our findings indicate that endogenous RA may play an important role(s) in the early phase of limb regeneration by regulating the expression of molecules responsible for the modification of intracellular and extracellular environment during salamander limb regeneration.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 2010

In this study, monoclonal antibodies against lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) of a salamander, Hynobius leechii, were used to determine the spatial and temporal expression of the LAP in the regenerating limbs. The Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis in the limb regeneration revealed that LAP was highly expressed at the dedifferentiation stage, especially in the wound epidermis and dedifferentiating limb tissues such as muscle and cartilage. With RA treatment, the LAP expression became upregulated in terms of both level and duration in the wound epidermis, blastemal cell and dedifferentiating limb tissues. In addition, in situ activity staining of LAP showed a similar result to that of immunohistochemistry. Thus, the activity profile of LAP activity coincides well with the expression profile of LAP during the dedifferentiation period. Furthermore, to examine the effects of lysosomal enzymes including LAP on salamander limb regeneration, lysosome extract was microinjected into limb regenerates. Interestingly, when the lysosome extract was microinjected into limb regenerates with a low dose of RA($50\;{\mu}g/g$ body wt.), skeletal pattern duplication occurred frequently in the proximodistal and transverse axes. Therefore, lysosomal enzymes might cause the regenerative environment and RA plays dual roles in the modification of positional value as well as evocation of extensive dedifferentiation for pattern duplication. In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that dedifferentiation is a crucial event in the process of limb regeneration and RA-evoked pattern duplication, and lysosomal enzymes may play important role(s) in this process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
• /
• 1998.07a
• /
• pp.57-58
• /
• 1998

From the present study, following conclusions can be drawn: 1. lide in other species, axolotl FGF-8 is proposed to play a similar role in the early phase of limb development. However, the mechanism of its expression might be somewhat different from amniotes considering its characteristic mesenchymal expression. 2. In the regenerating axolotl limbs, Fgf-8 expression profile suggests that it is involved in wound gealing, dedifferentiation, and blastema formation. 3. Exoggenously supplied FGF-8 can accelerate blastema formation and concomitantly increase the Msx-1 expression level at the early stage of limb regeneration. Furthermore, it can partially substitute for nerve factor(s) as has been indicated by the induction of blastema formation in the denervated regenerates after FGF-8 application. 4. The unique expression feature of Fgf-8 in hte mesenechymal tissue of the regenerating axolotl limb might be casually related to its remarkable regeneration capacity of urodele.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.145-150
• /
• 2000

Retinoic acid (RA) evokes pattern duplication in the regenerating salamander limb. Interestingly, it also enhances dedifferentiation in the regenerate by the morphological, histological and biochemical criteria. To examine whether there is any correlation between the RA-evoked pattern duplication and de novo protein synthetic profile in the regenerating salamander limb, especially during dedifferentiation, we analyzed stage-specific protein synthesis pattern in the normal and RA-treated regenerating limbs by metabolic labeling followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In the regenerating limbs without RA treatment, a few hundred kinds of proteins were found to be synthesized at the stage of wound healing and the total number of protein synthesized increased greatly as regeneration proceeded. The same trend was also observed in the RA-treated regenerating limbs. Interestingly, some protein spots were noted to be either newly synthesized or highly expressed by the RA treatment especially at the stage of dedifferentiation. The results shows that the enhancement of dedifferentiation state after the RA treatment correlates well with the protein synthesis profile, and suggest that those proteins are important for the RA-evoked pattern duplication in the regenerating limbs of salamander.

• The Zoological Society Korea : Newsletter
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.100.2-100
• /
• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
• /
• 1995.10b
• /
• pp.228.2-228
• /
• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.54 no.7
• /
• pp.356-367
• /
• 2021

Cell-based therapy is a promising approach in the field of regenerative medicine. As cells are formed into spheroids, their survival, functions, and engraftment in the transplanted site are significantly improved compared to single cell transplantation. To improve the therapeutic effect of cell spheroids even further, various biomaterials (e.g., nano- or microparticles, fibers, and hydrogels) have been developed for spheroid engineering. These biomaterials not only can control the overall spheroid formation (e.g., size, shape, aggregation speed, and degree of compaction), but also can regulate cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions in spheroids. Therefore, cell spheroids in synergy with biomaterials have recently emerged for cell-based regenerative therapy. Biomaterials-assisted spheroid engineering has been extensively studied for regeneration of bone or/and cartilage defects, critical limb ischemia, and myocardial infarction. Furthermore, it has been expanded to pancreas islets and hair follicle transplantation. This paper comprehensively reviews biomaterials-assisted spheroid engineering for regenerative therapy.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.301-304
• /
• 2002

In our previous study, we have shown that Fgf-8 is expressed in the basal layer of the apical epithelial cap (AEC) and in the underlying thin layer of mesenchymal tissue of the regenerating limbs of Mexican axolotl, Amby-stoma mexicanum. Our present RT-PCR data also demonstrate that Fgf-8 transcript is localized both in the mesenchymal and epidermal tissues. To understand the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on the expression of Fgf-8 in the regenerating axolotl limbs, RA was injected intraperitoneally at the dediffer-entiation stage of limb regeneration. The RA treatment caused 8 change in the Fgf-8 expression profile of the regenerating limbs. In RA-treated limbs, duration of Fgf-8 expression was prolonged and a high level of expression was maintained during dedifferentiation and blastema formation stages. These results suggest that Fgf-8 is an important molecule in the process of pattern duplication of regenerating salamander limbs evoked by RA treatment.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 1998

The lysosomal acid hydrolases including lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) are believed to play an important role in intracellular and extracellular degradation. LAP was reported to increase its activity in dedifferentiation stage during urodele limb regeneration. In the paresent study, LAP localization in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) limb regenerates was investigated by immunohistochemistry. LAP immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibody against Korean salamander (Hynobius leehii) LAP was observed mainly in the wound epidermis, blastema cells, muscle, and cartilage which were under dedifferentiation process in axolotl limb regenerates. Moreover, LAP immunoreactivity increased gradually during the early phase of lib regeneration and reached the peak level at dedifferentiation stage. However, as redifferentiation begans, LAP immunoreactivity decreased slowly to the basal level. Retinoic acid (RA) which is known to induce skeleton pattern duplication in regenerating urodele limb appears to enhance LAP immunoreactivity. In the RA-treate limg regenerates, LAP immunoreactivity was higher than in the normal regenerates. In addition, the LAP expression period was more extended in the RA treated regenerates than in the normal regenerates. These results suggest that RA is involved in the extension of dedifferentiation state in RA-treated limb regenerate.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
• /
• 1998.10b
• /
• pp.234.1-234
• /
• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text