If blastema formation is the key for lizard regeneration, if I am able to induce blastema formation in any part of the lizard's body, does it mean it could regenerate any part?

It seems unlikely. Blastemas are only one component that is required for regeneration to occur. i.e. blastemas are necessary, but not sufficient. For example

• In the case of severed limbs an Apical Epithelial Cap forms from the injured epidermis and appears to play a key role in mediating the process.
• When macrophages were eliminated from salamanders there injuries healed, but regeneration did not occur.

Caveat: I'm not a biologist.

Edited February 15, 20187 yr by Area54

1 hour ago, Area54 said:

It seems unlikely. Blastemas are only one component that is required for regeneration to occur. i.e. blastemas are necessary, but not sufficient. For example

• In the case of severed limbs an Apical Epithelial Cap forms from the injured epidermis and appears to play a key role in mediating the process.
• When macrophages were eliminated from salamanders there injuries healed, but regeneration did not occur.

Caveat: I'm not a biologist.

Right, but I've read somewhere that macrophages are what is causing the the lizard tissue to transform into a blastema.

The rule: To cause any gene to express within a cell, you initiate it with a cell signaling molecule(similar to a hormone) that starts a pathway, to express those genes.

This whole limb regeneration can be thought of as a response to wound. First wound occur to initiate macrophages to clog up the wound site and releases blastema cell (stem cell in human) transforming factors cell signaling molecules to tell the cells around the wound site to transform into blastema cells.

After this I do not get, the blastema cells around the wound site is supposed to receive another set of cell signaling molecules causing it to express certain genes to differentiate into the limb. The cell signaling molecules and patterning factors that is responsible for this cellular differentiation and shaping the cells back into a limb is, from my speculation, supposedly released by the surrounding differentiated cells prior to the wound site's blastema.

Now let me know if my speculation is correct or not

The thing is this patterning factor is unique for each cell. That means you need a different set of cell signaling molecule for each cell. That I have not solve. You might also ask, if the limb and the tail receives the same set of cell signaling molecules, how come one becomes a limb and the other one becomes a tail, that I have not solved. It's all book work here

Edited February 15, 20187 yr by fredreload