The Xenopus Model for Regeneration Research

In recent years, Xenopus has become a favorable organism for regeneration research. This is largely due to the establishment of transgenic technologies that enable the investigation of gene functions in later developmental events, including organogenesis and regeneration. With micromanipulation techniques and inducible or tissue-specific promoters, it is also possible to manipulate gene expression in a time- and tissue-type-specific manner, allowing the investigation of gene function in the regeneration of specific tissues, such as the spinal cord in the tail. Xenopus can regenerate its tail, limb, and lens in the tadpole stage but regeneration capacity is gradually lost during metamorphosis, providing a ready-made model for understanding regeneration and investigating means for its promotion. In this chapter, we will use the tadpole tail as an example to discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration. Using the limb of the postmetamorphic frogs, we will explore the possibility of stimulating limb regeneration. In addition, we will also discuss lens regeneration. This chapter provides exciting examples of what Xenopus can offer for regeneration research, in addition to its role as a standard model organism for developmental and cell biology studies.