Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) Embryonic Transplantation Methods

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONA remarkable feature of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) is their amenability to grafting at any stage of the lifecycle. The large size, slow development, and tensile properties of the axolotl embryo make it particularly easy to transplant different regions of the embryo at the neurula stage. Grafting of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing tissue from a GFP germline transgenic animal to GFP-negative hosts has proven to be a powerful method for tracking cells during development and regeneration. In the following protocol, we describe the transplantation of epidermis, neural fold, presomitic mesoderm, and lateral plate mesoderm to produce specific labeling of limb epidermis, limb Schwann cells, limb muscle, and limb connective tissue, respectively.