Effect of vitamin A on acid and alkaline phosphatase activities during tail regeneration in the tadpoles of the Asian toad

Anuran amphibians have the potential to restore their lost tail by regeneration, although, unlike urodeles their regeneration capacity is restricted to larval stages. Application of vitamin A or retinoids to tail amputated tadpoles causes abnormal tail regeneration and subsequently leads to development of ectopic organs (limbs and pelvic girdles) at the site of the tail, a phenomenon widely known as homeotic transformation. The present study focuses on the effect of different doses of vitamin A on acid and alkaline phosphatase activities during tail regeneration in the tadpoles of Asian toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus, a potential model for regeneration studies from Indian context. Application of vitamin A markedly increases the activity of both the phosphatases. Further, a comparatively higher dose of the vitamin leads to greater increase in activities of both phosphatases. A high level of both the enzymes in vitamin A treated regenerates suggests that the enzymes play an important role during abnormal tail regeneration, a prerequisite for ectopic organ formation.