TY - JOUR T1 - Accelerated cell divisions drive the outgrowth of the regenerating spinal cord in axolotls JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/067785 SP - 067785 AU - Fabian Rost AU - Aida Rodrigo Albors AU - Vladimir Mazurov AU - Lutz Brusch AU - Andreas Deutsch AU - Elly M. Tanaka AU - Osvaldo Chara Y1 - 2016/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/08/04/067785.abstract N2 - Axolotls are unique in their ability to regenerate the spinal cord. However, the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Previously, we showed that resting stem cells in the axolotl spinal cord revert to a molecular state resembling embryonic neuroepithelial cells and functionally acquire rapid proliferative divisions during regeneration. Here we refine in space and time this increase in cell proliferation during regeneration, and identify a dynamic high-proliferation zone in the regenerating spinal cord. By tracking sparsely-labeled cells, we quantify cell influx into the regenerate. Taking a mathematical modelling approach, we integrate these quantitative biological datasets across cellular and tissue level to provide a mechanistic and quantitative understanding of regenerative spinal cord outgrowth. We find that the acceleration of the cell cycle is necessary and sufficient to drive the outgrowth of the regenerating spinal cord in axolotls. ER -