Xenopus laevis il11ra.L is an experimentally proven interleukin-11 receptor component that is required for tadpole tail regeneration

Abstract

AbstractXenopus laevistadpoles possess high regenerative ability and can regenerate functional tails after amputation. An early event in regeneration is the induction of undifferentiated cells that form the regenerated tail. We previously reported thatinterleukin-11(il11) is upregulated immediately after tail amputation to induce undifferentiated cells of different cell lineages, indicating a key role ofil11in initiating tail regeneration. As Il11 is a secretory factor, Il11 receptor-expressing cells are thought to mediate its function.X. laevishas a gene annotated asinterleukin 11 receptor subunit alphaon chromosome 1L (il11ra.L), a putative subunit of the Il11 receptor complex, but its function has not been investigated. Here, we show that nuclear localization of phosphorylated Stat3 induced by Il11 is abolished inil11ra.Lknocked-out culture cells, strongly suggesting thatil11ra.Lencodes an Il11 receptor component. Moreover, knockdown ofil11ra.Limpaired tadpole tail regeneration, suggesting its indispensable role in tail regeneration. We also provide a model showing that Il11 functions viail11ra.L-expressing cells in a non-cell autonomous manner. These results highlight the importance ofil11ra.L-expressing cells in tail regeneration.