Regulation and potency in the forelimb rudiment of the axolotl embryo

Anterior, posterior, dorsal and ventral halves of the pre-bud forelimb rudiment of tail-bud axolotl embryos can all give rise to normal limbs after the complementary half has been removed. A histological study of the regulation of the posterior half rudiment showed no requirement for mesodermal healing across the gap, and no proliferative zone. The development of the limb bud on the operated side lags behind that of the control bud for several weeks of larval life. When half limb rudiments and double half limb rudiments were grafted to the head they did not develop unless both the posterior and the dorsal margin were present. Double posterior and double dorsal halves could develop into duplications on this site, single halves formed normal or hypomorphic limbs. When half limb rudiments were grafted to the flank the anterior halves developed into normal limbs and the posterior halves into duplicate limbs. The results are interpreted to indicate that at the pre-bud stage the limb rudiment is a homogeneous group of cells with no internal regional subdivisions. Its regulative behaviour is thus similar to that of early embryos and different from the regeneration behaviour shown by adult organs.