A developing or regenerating limb must grow bones, muscles, nerves, and skin – all in right amounts and places. This process of limb patterning is regulated by many signaling molecules. Retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A, is one of them. We use V3 HCR FISH and a genetic engineering tool CRISPR/Cas9 to understand how retinoic acid controls axolotl limb growth. We also compare gene expression during regeneration and development to understand the mechanisms of limb growth.
Funding source: National Institutes of Health