title: Optimized axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) husbandry, breeding, metamorphosis, transgenesis and tamoxifen-mediated recombination.
abstract: The axolotl (Mexican salamander, Ambystoma mexicanum) has become a very useful model organism for studying limb and spinal cord regeneration because of its high regenerative capacity. Here we present a protocol for successfully mating and breeding axolotls in the laboratory throughout the year, for metamorphosing axolotls by a single i.p. injection and for axolotl transgenesis using I-SceI meganuclease and the mini Tol2 transposon system. Tol2-mediated transgenesis provides different features and advantages compared with I-SceI-mediated transgenesis, and it can result in more than 30% of animals expressing the transgene throughout their bodies so that they can be directly used for experimentation. By using Tol2-mediated transgenesis, experiments can be performed within weeks (e.g., 5-6 weeks for obtaining 2-3-cm-long larvae) without the need to establish germline transgenic lines (which take 12-18 months). In addition, we describe here tamoxifen-induced Cre-mediated recombination in transgenic axolotls.
authors: 1] Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany. [2] Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Shahryar
authors: S
authors: Khattak
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Prayag
authors: 0000000206071059
authors: P
authors: Murawala
authors: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany.
authors: Heino
authors: H
authors: Andreas
authors: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany.
authors: Verena
authors: V
authors: Kappert
authors: 1] Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany. [2] Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Maritta
authors: M
authors: Schuez
authors: 1] Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany. [2] Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Tatiana
authors: T
authors: Sandoval-Guzmán
authors: 1] Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany. [2] St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Crawford
authors: 1] Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany. [2] Technische Universität Dresden, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Elly M
authors: EM
authors: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000558:Ambystoma mexicanum / Q000502:physiology*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen; D019895:Transposases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D013629:Tamoxifen; D019895:Transposases; C037725:SCEI protein, S cerevisiae; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific