Changes in regeneration-responsive enhancers shape regenerative capacities in vertebrates

Regulatory elements of fish regeneration Some animals regenerate extensively, whereas others, such as mammals, do not. The reason behind this difference is not clear. If the genetic mechanisms driving regeneration are evolutionarily conserved, the study of distantly related species that are subjected to different selective pressures could identify distinguishing species-specific and conserved regeneration-responsive mechanisms. Zebrafish and the short-lived African killifish are separated by ∼230 million years of evolutionary distance and, as such, provide a biological context to elucidate molecular mechanisms. Wang et al. identify both species-specific and evolutionarily conserved regeneration programs in these fish. They also provide evidence that elements of this program are subjected to evolutionary changes in vertebrate species with limited or no regenerative capacities. Science , this issue p. eaaz3090