The role of the peripheral nervous system in limb-size control during axolotl limb regeneration

• Applicant: Professor Prayag Murawala, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Developmental Biology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 527098031

Axolotl is a remarkable organism that is capable of limb regeneration. A limb regeneration process is a triphasic event that includes wound healing, blastema formation, and limb outgrowth. A successfully regenerated limb is neither small nor large, but rather a perfect replica of the lost structure – both in shape and size. While studies have focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of blastema formation, understanding the processes governing subsequent limb regrowth is poor. Mainly, questions like 1) what mechanism allows the regenerating limb to reach a similar size as the normally growing contralateral limb; and 2) once the target size is reached how this accelerated growth is slowed down, remain unresolved. We hypothesize that inputs from the peripheral nervous system are crucial and maybe the main factors that control limb size during regeneration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants