Foxm1 regulates neural progenitor fate during spinal cord regeneration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Xenopus tadpoles have the ability to regenerate their tails upon amputation. Although some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that globally regulate tail regeneration have been characterised, tissue-specific response to injury remains poorly understood. Using a combination of bulk and single cell RNA sequencing on isolated spinal cords before and after amputation, we identify a number of genes specifically expressed in the spinal cord during regeneration. We show that Foxm1, a transcription factor known to promote proliferation, is essential for spinal cord regeneration. Surprisingly, Foxm1 does not control the cell cycle length of neural progenitors but regulates their fate after division. In foxm1-/- tadpoles, we observe a reduction in the number of neurons in the regenerating spinal cord, suggesting that neuronal differentiation is necessary for the regenerative process. Altogether, our data uncover a spinal cord – specific response to injury and reveal a new role for neuronal differentiation during regeneration.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere50932
Number of pages31
JournalEMBO reports
Volume22
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Aug 2021

Keywords

  • regeneration
  • spinal cord
  • foxm1
  • xenopus
  • differentiation
  • scRNAseq

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Manchester Regenerative Medicine Network

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