Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center, San Marcos, Texas, USA.
Dev Dyn. 2021 Jun;250(6):880-895. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.245. Epub 2020 Sep 16.
Regeneration of complex patterned structures is well described among, although limited to a small sampling of, amphibians. This limitation impedes our understanding of the full range of regenerative competencies within this class of vertebrates, according to phylogeny, developmental life stage, and age. To broaden the phylogenetic breath of this research, we characterized the regenerative capacity of the Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni), a protected salamander native to the Edwards Aquifer of San Marcos, Texas and colonized by the San Marcos Aquatic Resource Center. As field observations suggested regenerative abilities in this population, the forelimb stump of a live captured female was amputated in the hopes of restoring the structure, and thus locomotion in the animal. Tails were clipped from two males to additionally document tail regeneration.
We show that the Texas blind salamander exhibits robust limb and tail regeneration, like all other studied Plethodontidae. Regeneration in this species is associated with wound epithelium formation, blastema formation, and subsequent patterning and differentiation of the regenerate.
The study has shown that the Texas blind salamander is a valuable model to study regenerative processes, and that therapeutic surgeries offer a valuable means to help maintain and conserve this vulnerable species.
尽管在有限的样本中，有大量关于两栖动物复杂模式结构再生的描述，但这种局限性限制了我们根据系统发育、发育阶段和年龄，在这一类脊椎动物中全面理解再生能力的范围。为了拓宽这项研究的系统发育范围，我们对德克萨斯盲螈（Eurycea rathbuni）的再生能力进行了特征描述，这是一种原产于德克萨斯州圣马科斯的爱德华含水层的受保护的蝾螈，由圣马科斯水生资源中心进行了殖民。由于野外观察表明该种群具有再生能力，我们对一只活体捕获的雌性蝾螈的前肢残肢进行了截肢，以期恢复动物的结构和运动能力。还从两只雄性蝾螈身上剪下尾巴，以额外记录尾巴再生情况。
我们表明，德克萨斯盲螈表现出强大的肢体和尾巴再生能力，就像所有其他研究的有尾目动物一样。这种物种的再生与伤口上皮形成、芽基形成以及随后的再生体的模式化和分化有关。
该研究表明，德克萨斯盲螈是研究再生过程的有价值的模型，治疗性手术为帮助维持和保护这种脆弱物种提供了有价值的手段。
