Key Proteins for Regeneration in A. mexicanum: Transcriptomic Insights from Aged and Juvenile Limbs

The axolotl is an animal with remarkable regenerative abilities, making it an ideal model for studying potential regenerative therapies in mammals, including humans. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in regeneration remain unclear. We conducted a transcriptomic analysis of juvenile axolotls' limbs and their blastema and compared the results with aged axolotls that failed to regenerate after amputation. We identified a set of genes involved in cell differentiation, transcriptional regulation, cartilage development, bone morphogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Four highly expressed genes (FSTL1, ADAMTS17, GPX7, and CTHRC1) were identified in regenerating tissue, but underexpressed in aged axolotls. Structural and homology analysis showed that these genes are conserved and have important roles in development, bone morphogenesis, and cartilage formation. Our findings propose a novel set of axolotl genes involved in tissue regeneration that could be a starting point for further studies in other vertebrates.