Asymmetric regeneration dynamics in zebrafish pectoral fins

Persistent anterior–posterior asymmetry in zebrafish pectoral fin regeneration growth dynamics is detectable longitudinally, with spatiotemporal transcriptomics and pathway biosensors confirming differential regulation.

• Why it matters: Quantitative, longitudinal measurements of tissue growth and gene/signal dynamics during limb regeneration remain limited, despite known full re-formation in regeneration-capable systems.
• What they did: The study developed longitudinal quantitative imaging of zebrafish pectoral fin regeneration, performed spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomics, and used biosensors reporting canonical Wnt and Erk pathway activity.
• The result: Growth, gene expression, and signaling activity remain spatially asymmetric across regeneration timepoints, including temporally asymmetric gene-expression peaks, establishing pectoral fins as a quantitative regeneration platform.