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Lv L, Guo W, Guan W, Chen Y, Huang R, Yuan Z, Pu Q, Feng S, Zheng X, Li Y, Xiao L, Zhao H, Qi X, Cai D. Echocardiographic assessment of Xenopus tropicalis heart regeneration. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:29. [PMID: 36782288 PMCID: PMC9926761 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-00982-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, it was reported that the adult X. tropicalis heart can regenerate in a nearly scar-free manner after injury via apical resection. Thus, a cardiac regeneration model in adult X. tropicalis provides a powerful tool for recapitulating a perfect regeneration phenomenon, elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of cardiac regeneration in an adult heart, and developing an interventional strategy for the improvement in the regeneration of an adult heart, which may be more applicable in mammals than in species with a lower degree of evolution. However, a noninvasive and rapid real-time method that can observe and measure the long-term dynamic change in the regenerated heart in living organisms to monitor and assess the regeneration and repair status in this model has not yet been established. RESULTS In the present study, the methodology of echocardiographic assessment to characterize the morphology, anatomic structure and cardiac function of injured X. tropicalis hearts established by apex resection was established. The findings of this study demonstrated for the first time that small animal echocardiographic analysis can be used to assess the regeneration of X. tropicalis damaged heart in a scar-free perfect regeneration or nonperfect regeneration with adhesion manner via recovery of morphology and cardiac function. CONCLUSIONS Small animal echocardiography is a reliable, noninvasive and rapid real-time method for observing and assessing the long-term dynamic changes in the regeneration of injured X. tropicalis hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luocheng Lv
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Weimin Guo
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Wei Guan
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Yilin Chen
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Ruijin Huang
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Anatomy, Department of Neuroanatomy, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ziqiang Yuan
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Department of Medical Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson of Medical School, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Qin Pu
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Anatomy, Department of Neuroanatomy, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Shanshan Feng
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Xin Zheng
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Yanmei Li
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Luanjuan Xiao
- grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People’s Republic of China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong China ,grid.258164.c0000 0004 1790 3548Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Stem Cell and Regeneration TRP, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xufeng Qi
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China. .,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China. .,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China. .,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Dongqing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China. .,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China. .,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China. .,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Furman BLS, Cauret CMS, Knytl M, Song XY, Premachandra T, Ofori-Boateng C, Jordan DC, Horb ME, Evans BJ. A frog with three sex chromosomes that co-mingle together in nature: Xenopus tropicalis has a degenerate W and a Y that evolved from a Z chromosome. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009121. [PMID: 33166278 PMCID: PMC7652241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, sexual differentiation is a vital prelude to reproduction, and disruption of this process can have severe fitness effects, including sterility. It is thus interesting that genetic systems governing sexual differentiation vary among-and even within-species. To understand these systems more, we investigated a rare example of a frog with three sex chromosomes: the Western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that natural populations from the western and eastern edges of Ghana have a young Y chromosome, and that a male-determining factor on this Y chromosome is in a very similar genomic location as a previously known female-determining factor on the W chromosome. Nucleotide polymorphism of expressed transcripts suggests genetic degeneration on the W chromosome, emergence of a new Y chromosome from an ancestral Z chromosome, and natural co-mingling of the W, Z, and Y chromosomes in the same population. Compared to the rest of the genome, a small sex-associated portion of the sex chromosomes has a 50-fold enrichment of transcripts with male-biased expression during early gonadal differentiation. Additionally, X. tropicalis has sex-differences in the rates and genomic locations of recombination events during gametogenesis that are similar to at least two other Xenopus species, which suggests that sex differences in recombination are genus-wide. These findings are consistent with theoretical expectations associated with recombination suppression on sex chromosomes, demonstrate that several characteristics of old and established sex chromosomes (e.g., nucleotide divergence, sex biased expression) can arise well before sex chromosomes become cytogenetically distinguished, and show how these characteristics can have lingering consequences that are carried forward through sex chromosome turnovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. S. Furman
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Caroline M. S. Cauret
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Martin Knytl
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, 7 Vinicna Street, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Xue-Ying Song
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tharindu Premachandra
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | - Danielle C. Jordan
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Marko E. Horb
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
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Liao S, Dong W, Lv L, Guo H, Yang J, Zhao H, Huang R, Yuan Z, Chen Y, Feng S, Zheng X, Huang J, Huang W, Qi X, Cai D. Heart regeneration in adult Xenopus tropicalis after apical resection. Cell Biosci 2017; 7:70. [PMID: 29255592 PMCID: PMC5727962 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-017-0199-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Myocardium regeneration in adult mammals is very limited, but has enormous therapeutic potentials. However, we are far from complete understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which heart tissue can regenerate. The full functional ability of amphibians to regenerate makes them powerful animal models for elucidating how damaged mature organs are naturally reconstituted in an adult organism. Like other amphibians, such as newts and axolotls, adult Xenopus displays high regenerative capacity such as retina. So far, whether the adult frog heart processes regenerative capacity after injury has not been well delineated. Results We examined the regeneration of adult cardiac tissues of Xenopus tropicalis after resection of heart apex. We showed, for the first time, that the adult X. tropicalis heart can regenerate perfectly in a nearly scar-free manner approximately 30 days after injury via apical resection. We observed that the injured heart was sealed through coagulation immediately after resection, which was followed by transient fibrous tissue production. Finally, the amputated area was regenerated by cardiomyocytes. During the regeneration process, the cardiomyocytes in the border area of the myocardium adjacent to the wound exhibited high proliferation after injury, thus contribute the newly formed heart tissue. Conclusions Establishing a cardiac regeneration model in adult X. tropicalis provides a powerful tool for recapitulating a perfect regeneration phenomenon and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of cardiac regeneration in an adult heart, and findings from this model may be applicable in mammals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13578-017-0199-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souqi Liao
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Wenyan Dong
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Luocheng Lv
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Jifeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Stem Cell and Regeneration TRP, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
| | - Ruijin Huang
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ziqiang Yuan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, USA
| | - Yilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Shanshan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Xin Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Junqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Weihuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Xufeng Qi
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China
| | - Dongqing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China.,International Base of Collaboration for Science and Technology (JNU), Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510632 Guangdong Province China.,Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
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Families of nuclear receptors in vertebrate models: characteristic and comparative toxicological perspective. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8554. [PMID: 25711679 PMCID: PMC4339804 DOI: 10.1038/srep08554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Various synthetic chemicals are ligands for nuclear receptors (NRs) and can cause adverse effects in vertebrates mediated by NRs. While several model vertebrates, such as mouse, chicken, western clawed frog and zebrafish, are widely used in toxicity testing, few NRs have been well described for most of these classes. In this report, NRs in genomes of 12 vertebrates are characterized via bioinformatics approaches. Although numbers of NRs varied among species, with 40-42 genes in birds to 66-74 genes in teleost fishes, all NRs had clear homologs in human and could be categorized into seven subfamilies defined as NR0B-NR6A. Phylogenetic analysis revealed conservative evolutionary relationships for most NRs, which were consistent with traditional morphology-based systematics, except for some exceptions in Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Evolution of PXR and CAR exhibited unexpected multiple patterns and the existence of CAR possibly being traced back to ancient lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods (Sarcopterygii). Compared to the more conservative DBD of NRs, sequences of LBD were less conserved: Sequences of THRs, RARs and RXRs were ≥90% similar to those of the human, ERs, AR, GR, ERRs and PPARs were more variable with similarities of 60%-100% and PXR, CAR, DAX1 and SHP were least conserved among species.
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Showell C, Conlon FL. Natural mating and tadpole husbandry in the western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2010; 2009:pdb.prot5292. [PMID: 20147277 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot5292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Showell
- UNC McAllister Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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Showell C, Conlon FL. Tissue sampling and genomic DNA purification from the western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2010; 2009:pdb.prot5294. [PMID: 20147279 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot5294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Showell
- UNC McAllister Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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Showell C, Conlon FL. Egg collection and in vitro fertilization of the western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2009; 2009:pdb.prot5293. [PMID: 20147278 PMCID: PMC3612982 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot5293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTIONThe eggs of Xenopus laevis have been widely used in studies investigating a variety of aspects of biology, such as control of the cell cycle, RNA processing, and the cytoskeleton. The Western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis is likely to prove useful for such studies in the future, because of the potential to combine traditional experimental approaches with genetic analysis and the available genome sequence. The eggs of X. tropicalis are also a key starting material for transgenesis. Here, we describe a method for the routine collection of eggs from X. tropicalis, together with a method for in vitro fertilization. Very large numbers of eggs, often more than 2000, can be obtained from a single X. tropicalis female. In vitro fertilization is a valuable alternative to natural mating for generating embryos. It is particularly useful for microinjection experiments and when collecting embryos at a series of defined developmental stages (e.g., for studies of gene expression), because it produces embryos that develop synchronously during early embryonic development. The typical yield of embryos ranges from several hundred to more than 1000 per fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Showell
- UNC McAllister Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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