Identification and analysis of blastema-specific molecules that are targeted by immature immune system in Xenopus tadoples

到目前为止，我们认为，在爪蟾蝌蚪的“不应期”，未成熟的免疫细胞攻击被切除尾巴的胚母细胞作为“非自我”，导致尾巴再生失败，而在“再生期”，调节性T细胞分化以重新激活尾巴的再生能力。然而，什么样的免疫细胞针对囊胚细胞仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们发现了一种新的基因，该基因被认为在入侵被截肢的尾巴残肢的免疫细胞中表达，以抑制尾巴的再生能力。该基因在蝌蚪发育阶段的生存中起着重要作用。这种基因将成为攻击尾胚细胞的自身反应性免疫细胞的制造者。

So far, we suggested that, in the' refractory period' of the Xenopus tadpoles, immature immune cells attack blastema cells of the amputated tails as' non-self', resulting in failure in tail regeneration, whereas, in the' regeneration period', regulatory T cells differentiate to reactivate tail regenerative ability. However, what kinds of immune cells target the blastema cells remains unclear. In the present study, we identified a novel gene that is supposed to be expressed in immune cells that invade amputated tail stumps to repress tail regenerative ability. This gene played an essential role in tadpole survival during the developmental stages. This gene will be available as a maker for auto-reactive immune cells that attack tail blastema cells.