Our new paper on mechanisms driving regenerative intestinal growth in snakes was recently published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B! This study is the first to investigate and compare mechanisms of regenerative growth in multiple snake species, the Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) and Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) along with a non-regenerating species (the Diamondback Watersnake, Nerodia rhombifer) for comparison.
Using comparative analyses of both transcriptomic and proteomic data, we identified multiple growth, stress and DNA damage response signaling pathways with upregulated activity following feeding in the two species that exhibit intestinal regeneration. We propose a model in which these signaling pathways interact to drive regenerative growth in snakes, providing an exciting foundation for subsequent studies that further interrogate the molecular mechanisms of organ regeneration and potential applications to human therapeutics.
Congrats to Blair and all co-authors!
Perry, B.W, A.L. Andrew, A.H.M. Kamal, D.C. Card, D.R. Schield, G.I.M. Pasquesi, M. Pelligrino, S.P. Mackessy, S. Chowdhury, S.M. Secor, and T.A. Castoe. 2019. Multi-species comparisons of snakes identify coordinated signaling networks underlying post-feeding intestinal regeneration. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Link