Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
Skin shedding and tissue regeneration in African spiny mice (Acomys)
Nature, Volume 489, No. 7417, Year 2012
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Evolutionary modification has produced a spectrum of animal defence traits to escape predation, including the ability to autotomize body parts to elude capture. After autotomy, the missing part is either replaced through regeneration (for example, in urodeles, lizards, arthropods and crustaceans) or permanently lost (such as in mammals). Although most autotomy involves the loss of appendages (legs, chelipeds, antennae or tails, for example), skin autotomy can occur in certain taxa of scincid and gekkonid lizards. Here we report the first demonstration of skin autotomy in Mammalia (African spiny mice, Acomys). Mechanical testing showed a propensity for skin to tear under very low tension and the absence of a fracture plane. After skin loss, rapid wound contraction was followed by hair follicle regeneration in dorsal skin wounds. Notably, we found that regenerative capacity in Acomys was extended to ear holes, where the mice exhibited complete regeneration of hair follicles, sebaceous glands, dermis and cartilage. Salamanders capable of limb regeneration form a blastema (a mass of lineage-restricted progenitor cells) after limb loss, and our findings suggest that ear tissue regeneration in Acomys may proceed through the assembly of a similar structure. This study underscores the importance of investigating regenerative phenomena outside of conventional model organisms, and suggests that mammals may retain a higher capacity for regeneration than was previously believed. As re-emergent interest in regenerative medicine seeks to isolate molecular pathways controlling tissue regeneration in mammals, Acomys may prove useful in identifying mechanisms to promote regeneration in lieu of fibrosis and scarring. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Seifert, Ashley W.
United States, Gainesville
University of Florida
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Kenya, Nanyuki
Mpala Research Centre
Kiama, Stephen Gitahi
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Seifert, Megan G.
United States, Gainesville
University of Florida
Kenya, Nanyuki
Mpala Research Centre
Goheen, Jacob R.
Kenya, Nanyuki
Mpala Research Centre
United States, Laramie
University of Wyoming
Palmer, Todd M.
United States, Gainesville
University of Florida
Kenya, Nanyuki
Mpala Research Centre
Maden, Malcolm
United States, Gainesville
University of Florida
Statistics
Citations: 450
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/nature11499
ISSN:
00280836
e-ISSN:
14764687
Research Areas
Health System And Policy