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

Abstract

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. Finally, we demonstrate that implantation of a clonally derived spinal cord neurosphere can result in reconstitution of all examined cell types in the regenerating central spinal cord, suggesting derivation of a cell with spinal cord stem cell properties.