Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of the Regenerating Zebrafish Telencephalon Unravels a Resource With Key Pathways During Two Early Stages and Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling at the Early Wound Healing Stage

The study analyzed the regenerating zebrafish telencephalon to understand regeneration mechanisms, focusing on early wound healing (20 hours post-lesion) and proliferative stages (3 days post-lesion). It found significant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling at 20 hours, which returned to control levels by 3 days. This pathway regulated key processes like p53, apoptosis, FoxO, MAPK, and mTOR during early healing. The study identified 1,472 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 20 hours and 1,707 at 3 days, with less than a third shared between stages, indicating distinct mechanisms. Inhibition of Wnt signaling identified 119 target genes at 20 hours, decreasing to 9 by 3 days. The research highlighted Wnt/β-catenin's crucial role in early brain regeneration and provided insights into molecular pathways that could inform therapeutic interventions for brain injuries.