TY - JOUR N2 - In regeneration-competent vertebrates, such as salamanders, regeneration depends on the ability of various differentiated adult cell types to undergo natural reprogramming. This ability is rarely observed in regeneration-incompetent species such as mammals, providing an explanation for their poor regenerative potential. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms mediating natural reprogramming during regeneration. Here, we have identified the extent of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation as a key component of such mechanisms. We show that sustained ERK activation following serum induction is required for re-entry into the cell cycle of postmitotic salamander muscle cells, partially by promoting the downregulation of p53 activity. Moreover, ERK activation induces epigenetic modifications and downregulation of muscle-specific genes such as Sox6. Remarkably, while long-term ERK activation is found in salamander myotubes, only transient activation is seen in their mammalian counterparts, suggesting that the extent of ERK activation could underlie differences in regenerative competence between species. ID - discovery1429841 KW - Animals KW - Cell Cycle KW - Cell Differentiation KW - Cell Line KW - Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases KW - Mammals KW - Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases KW - Muscle Fibers KW - Skeletal KW - Regeneration KW - Urodela AV - public Y1 - 2014/07/08/ EP - 23 TI - Sustained ERK activation underlies reprogramming in regeneration-competent salamander cells and distinguishes them from their mammalian counterparts UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.05.009 SN - 2213-6711 A1 - Yun, MH A1 - Gates, PB A1 - Brockes, JP JF - Stem Cell Reports SP - 15 VL - 3 IS - 1 N1 - © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). ER -