Development and regeneration of the lizard tail

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Many lizards are able to voluntarily self-detach (autotomize) their tails as an antipredator strategy, and then regenerate a replacement. This ability to replace such a large portion of the body is unique among amniotes (reptiles and mammals), and yet remains poorly understood. In particular, a basic understanding of the events leading to the regeneration of tissues is lacking. We hypothesize that regeneration is a repetition of embryonic development. Our objectives are to investigate and compare original (embryonic) tail development with de novo regeneration. We will examine the histology and cellular composition of the tail at key stages of development and regeneration in two species of commercially bred gekkotan lizards (geckos). Geckos are a novel and less invasive model system for regenerative studies. A single individual is able to repeatedly shed and regrow the tail, and many species are easy to maintain and breed in the lab. A more detailed understanding of this naturally evolved ability provides an obvious complement to mammalian stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Furthermore, these data will provide important new insight into the biology of lizards, one of the most widely distributed and species-rich groups of amniotes.