Newts utilize their unique genes to restore missing parts by strategic regulation of conserved
signaling pathways. Lack of genetic tools poses challenges to determine the function of such
genes. Therefore, we used the Drosophila eye model to demonstrate the potential of 5
unique newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) gene (s), viropana1-viropana5 (vna1-vna5),
which were ectopically expressed in L 2 mutant and GMR-hid, GMR-GAL4 eye. L 2 exhibits
the loss of ventral half of early eye and head involution defective (hid) triggers cell-death …

A fundamental process of regeneration, which varies among animals, recruits conserved
signaling pathways to restore missing parts. Only a few animals like newts can repeatedly
regenerate lost body parts throughout their lifespan that can be attributed to strategic
regulation of conserved signaling pathways by newt's regeneration tool-kit genes. Here we
report the use of a genetically tractable Drosophila eye model to demonstrate the
regeneration potential of a group of unique protein (s) from newt (Notophthalmus …