Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40494878›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Retinoic acid breakdown is required for proximodistal positional identity during axolotl limb regeneration.

Timothy J Duerr, Melissa Miller, Sage Kumar, Dareen Bakr, Jackson R Griffiths, Aditya K Gautham, Danielle Douglas, S Randal Voss, James R Monaghan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  6. Review
  7. The subfunctionalization ofFrontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Timothy J DuerrNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4945-0294
Melissa MillerNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.
Sage KumarNortheastern University, Institute for Chemical Imaging of Living Systems, Boston, MA, USA.
Dareen BakrNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-2361-6291
Jackson R GriffithsNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4115-8993
Aditya K GauthamNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.
Danielle DouglasNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA.
S Randal VossUniversity of Kentucky, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neuroscience, Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, Lexington, KY, USA.
James R MonaghanNortheastern University, Department of Biology, Boston, MA, USA. j.monaghan@northeastern.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6689-6108

Funding

Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center - Revision to Include Curation and Informatics ComponentP40OD019794 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI Stephen Randal Voss · 2015 to 2026
$6.3M
Mechanisms of skeletal patterning during limb development and regenerationR01HD099174 · NICHD · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · PI MONAGHAN, JAMES R · 2020 to 2024
$1.6M
Epigenetic regulation of the regenerating axolotl forelimb's proximodistal axis by retinoic acidF31HD116512 · NICHD · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · PI MILLER, MELISSA NANETTE · 2024 to 2025
$99k
National Science Foundation (NSF) 1558017National Science Foundation (NSF) 1656429NICHD NIH HHS F31 HD116512NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD099174NIH HHS P40 OD019794U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) R01HD099174
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Regenerating limbs retain their proximodistal (PD) positional identity following amputation. This positional identity is genetically encoded by PD patterning genes that instruct blastema cells to regenerate the appropriate PD limb segment. Retinoic acid (RA) is known to specify proximal limb identity, but how RA signaling levels are established in the blastema is unknown. Here, we show that RA breakdown via CYP26B1 is essential for determining RA signaling levels within blastemas. CYP26B1 inhibition molecularly reprograms distal blastemas into a more proximal identity, phenocopying the effects of administering excess RA. We identify Shox as an RA-responsive gene that is differentially expressed between proximally and distally amputated limbs. Ablation of Shox results in shortened limbs with proximal skeletal elements that fail to initiate endochondral ossification. These results suggest that PD positional identity is determined by RA degradation and RA-responsive genes that regulate PD skeletal element formation during limb regeneration.

Indexed as

Ambystoma mexicanumExtremitiesRegenerationTretinoinAmputation, SurgicalAnimalsBody PatterningGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalRetinoic Acid 4-HydroxylaseSignal TransductionRetinoic Acid 4-HydroxylaseTretinoin

Identifiers

PMID40494878
PMCPMC12152164

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.