Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p>When nerve supply is severed at the brachial plexus, regeneration of Axolotl salamander limbs ceases. Nerves provide specific molecules that help initiate and sustain the process of regeneration. Regenerating limbs show different responses to denervation at each step of the process. Severing nerves right after amputation prevents further growth, but denervation post‐growth of a regenerative tissue yields a miniature limb. Nerves may be providing molecules that maintain cell plasticity, but how regenerative tissue changes in absence of nerves is unknown. In this study, effect of denervation on cell proliferation at each point of regeneration is investigated. Regenerating limbs were denervated one day before collection and labeled with 5‐ethynyl‐2’‐deoxyuridine (EdU, a proliferation marker) <jats:italic>in vivo‐</jats:italic>3 hours before collection. We show region‐specific depletion of proliferation in limbs 0 (uninjured), 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 25 days post amputation. Our results suggest that loss of nerve supply drastically reduces proliferation in both uninjured and regenerating limbs but not in tissue actively undergoing digit formation.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Support or Funding Information</jats:title><jats:p>This project was supported by Matz Scholarship in Biotechnology and NSF grants 1558017 and 1656429.</jats:p></jats:sec>