Developmental implications of differential effects of calcium in tail and body skin of Anuran tadpoles

Effects of chlorothalonil on development and growth of amphibian embryos and larvae

Chlorothalonil is a broad spectrum fungicide widely used in agricultural and urban environments, yet little is known regarding its effects on amphibians. We examined effects of chlorothalonil on growth, malformations, and mortality in embryos and larvae of Xenopus laevis and Spea multiplicata, and assessed variation in sensitivity among aquatic organisms using a species sensitivity distribution (SSD). Chlorothalonil induced gut malformations in X. laevis embryos and inhibited growth. Tail degeneration was observed in larvae of both species and reduced tail length to total length ratios occurred at environmentally relevant concentrations (5.9 and 11.0 μg/L). The mechanism of tail degeneration is unclear, but alteration in the expression of genes involved in tail resorption is a hypothesized mechanism. Larval amphibians were more sensitive than invertebrates and fish. Based on our results and the range of reported environmental concentrations, chlorothalonil may pose a risk to larval amphibians in certain habitats and scenarios.

Reactive oxygen species and anti-oxidant defenses in tail of tadpoles, Xenopus laevis

Tail regression in tadpoles is one of the most spectacular events in anuran metamorphosis. Reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress play an important role during this process. Presently, the cell- and tissue-specific localization of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase as well as neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthase isoforms (nNOS and iNOS) responsible for production of nitric oxide (NO) were carried out during different stages of metamorphosis in tail of tadpole Xenopus laevis. NO also has profound effect on the mitochondrial function having its own nitric oxide NOS enzyme. Hence, in situ staining for NO and mitochondria also was investigated. The distribution of nNOS and iNOS was found to be stage specific, and the gene expression of nNOS was up-regulated by thyroxin treatment. In situ staining for NO and mitochondria shows co-localization, suggesting mitochondria being one of the sources of NO. SOD and catalase showed significant co-localization during earlier stages of metamorphosis, but before the tail regression begins, there was a significant decrease in activity as well as co-localization suggesting increased ROS accumulation. These findings are discussed in terms of putative functional importance of ROS and cytoplasmic as well as mitochondrial derived NO in programmed cell death in tail tissue.

Larval arm resorption proceeds concomitantly with programmed cell death during metamorphosis of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus

Sea urchins are excellent models to elucidate metamorphic phenomena of echinoderms. However, little attention has been paid to the way that their organ resorption is accomplished by programmed cell death (PCD) and related cellular processes. We have used cytohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy to study arm resorption in competent larvae of metamorphosing sea urchins, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, induced to metamorphose by L-glutamine treatment. The results show that: (1) columnar epithelial cells, which are constituents of the ciliary band, undergo PCD in an overlapping fashion with apoptosis and autophagic cell death; (2) squamous epithelial cells, which are distributed between the two arrays of the ciliary band, display a type of PCD distinct from that of columnar epithelial cells, i.e., a cytoplasmic type of non-lysosomal vacuolated cell death; (3) epithelial integrity is preserved even when PCD occurs in constituent cells of the epithelium; (4) secondary mesenchyme cells, probably blastocoelar cells, contribute to the elimination of dying epithelial cells; (5) nerve cells have a delayed initiation of PCD. Taken together, our data indicate that arm resorption in sea urchins proceeds concomitantly with various types of PCD followed by heterophagic elimination, but that epithelial organization is preserved during metamorphosis.

Ultrastructural observations on effects of different concentrations of calcium and thyroxine in vitro on larval epidermal cells of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles

During anuran metamorphosis dramatic changes in morphogenesis and differentiation of epidermis occur under the influence of thyroid hormones. Modification of ionic calcium concentration also markedly alters the pattern of proliferation and differentiation in amphibian epidermal cells in vitro. The present study was designed to determine the direct effect of low (0.05 mM) and high (0.5 mM) calcium (Ca2+) in the absence or presence of thyroxine (10(-7) M) on epidermal cells of the body and tail tissue in vitro. When tail fin and body skin explants were maintained in low (0.05 mM) calcium for 48 h, normal ultrastructural morphology and integrity of the cells was observed in both the tissue types. When tissues were exposed to high levels of calcium (0.5 mM) in culture medium, tail epidermis showed stratification, and skein cells exhibited apoptosis, both in the presence or absence of thyroid hormones. Under high calcium conditions, the body epidermis showed keratinization of apical cells, apoptosis of skein cells, and increased desmosome formation. These results suggest that (1) optimal Ca2+ concentration for larval epidermal cells is quite low (0.05 mM), (2) high Ca2+ leads to keratinization only in body epidermis, and (3) apoptosis occurred in skein cells of both the tissues at high Ca2+ concentrations (0.5 mM). The present study therefore suggests that the extracellular calcium concentration regulates the process of cell death and differentiation in Rana catesbeiana larval epidermis, and this effect may be similar to the effect of calcium on mammalian epidermal cells.