Reactivation and graded axial expression pattern of Wnt-10a gene during early regeneration stages of adult tail in amphibian urodele Pleurodeles waltl.

Adult urodele amphibians such as Pleurodeles waltl are able to regenerate their amputated limbs or tail. The mechanisms implicated in growth control and formation of the blastema are unknown but it has been proposed that regeneration in newts may proceed through reactivation of genes involved in embryonic development. Knowing the role of Wnt genes in the patterning of the primary and secondary axes of the vertebrate embryo, we suspected that some of these genes could be involved in axial pattern during newt tail regeneration. Pwnt-10a gene, cloned from a newt tail regenerate cDNA library, showed an expression pattern compatible with such a role in tail regenerates. Pwnt-10a, which is highly expressed during embryonic development (from gastrula to tailbud-stage) and weakly expressed in the adult tail, is strongly re-expressed during tail regeneration. In the blastemal mesenchyme Pwnt-10a transcripts exhibited a graded distribution along the antero-posterior axis, the mRNA accumulation being maximal in the caudal most part corresponding to the growing zone. These findings strongly support the view that Pwnt-10a may act in cooperation with other factors to control growth and patterning in newt tail regeneration. Until now Wnt-10a was only known to be involved in central nervous system development; our results suggest that this gene may also play a role in other developmental processes.