ADAPTER: A Conceptual Framework of Axial-Domain-Guided Pattern Recall during Morphogenesis

Research on regenerative patterning converges on the view that mapping between wounded and intact fields enables tissues to detect structural correspondences essential for faithful repair. However, whether recall of ancestral morphology is governed by superficial cues such as local extracellular matrix architecture or by deeper axial coordinates remains an open empirical question. The present contribution seeks to resolve this issue by reviewing evidence showing that the determinants of pattern recall depend primarily on the way positional information was originally encoded, which is itself constrained by pre-existing axial domains. Building on this synthesis, we propose a conceptual model (ADAPTER, Anatomical Domain Abstraction Pattern Encoding for Tissue Regeneration) in which the available axial domains dictate the level of abstraction used during developmental encoding and thereby the mode of regenerative recall that can be deployed. The model further incorporates the influence of bioelectric landscapes, chromatin state, and mechanical context on the likelihood of a relational—organ-level—encoding, factors that subsequently bias the cues prioritized during repair. This framework reconciles previously conflicting findings across species and generates precise, testable predictions regarding conditions that favor surface-driven versus structure-driven regeneration. The model also sheds light on the ontogenetic progression of deep pattern recall capacity and delineates actionable bioelectric, pharmacological, and scaffold-based strategies aimed at potentiating spontaneous restoration of complex anatomy.