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Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Genome Editing in Astyanax mexicanus Using Transcription Activator-like Effector Nucleases TALENs
Published on: June 20, 2016
The giant axolotl genome uncovers the evolution, scaling, and transcriptional control of complex gene loci
Siegfried Schloissnig1, Akane Kawaguchi2, Sergej Nowoshilow2
1Vienna Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria; siegfried.schloissnig@imp.ac.at elly.tanaka@imp.ac.at.
Abstract:
Vertebrates harbor recognizably orthologous gene complements but vary 100-fold in genome size. How chromosomal organization scales with genome expansion is unclear, and how acute changes in gene regulation, as during axolotl limb regeneration, occur in the context of a vast genome has remained a riddle. Here, we describe the chromosome-scale assembly of the giant, 32 Gb axolotl genome. Hi-C contact data revealed the scaling properties of interphase and mitotic chromosome organization. Analysis of the assembly yielded understanding of the evolution of large, syntenic multigene clusters, including the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and the functional regulatory landscape of the Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 (Axfgf8) region. The axolotl serves as a primary model for studying successful regeneration.
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