Using transcriptomics to enable a plethodontid salamander (Bolitoglossa ramosi) for limb regeneration research

Salamanders can regrow lost limbs, but most molecular research focuses on a few species. This study expands that knowledge by looking at the Bolitoglossa ramosi salamander. The researchers used RNA sequencing to create a reference transcriptome (a catalog of all the genes being expressed) for this salamander during limb regeneration. By comparing gene expression patterns with those of the well-studied axolotl, the study identified both conserved and species-specific genes involved in limb regeneration.

• 1
  A de novo reference transcriptome for B. ramosi was generated, containing 433,809 transcripts and functional annotation for 142,926 non-redundant transcripts.
• 2
  602 genes were identified as differentially expressed during limb regeneration in B. ramosi.
• 3
  Comparative analyses revealed a subset of genes with similar expression patterns to those in the Mexican axolotl, suggesting conserved mechanisms of limb regeneration.