Xenopus

Abstract

Recent advances in techniques that are available to study the molecular development of the frog Xenopus make developmental studies using this amphibian amenable to experimentation. This review outlines some of the attractive features of this model organism and describes how these techniques can be and are being used in studies on the organogenesis of the larval amphibian kidney, the pronephros. The roles of micromanipulation, grafting, and in vitro culturing of animal caps are discussed as tools in the analysis of kidney development and as a source of tissue for subtractive hybridization strategies. The importance of expression cloning and functional analysis of newly identified pronephros-specific genes are also described. Finally, transgenesis and electroporation are discussed as potentially new methods of gene delivery to the pronephros. These techniques can be used to help identify the gene networks that control organogenesis of this larval kidney form, which will undoubtedly have applicability to higher vertebrate kidney development.

Heat Shock 70-kDa Protein 5 (Hspa5) Is Essential for Pronephros Formation by Mediating Retinoic Acid Signaling

“…Assays-Animal caps dissected from early gastrula embryos are pluripotent and can be induced to differentiate into pronephros tissue by treatment with atRA and activin (12)(13)(14). To further investigate the role that Hspa5 plays during pronephros development, we carried out an in vitro pronephros induction assay and examined two developmental time points, stages 15 and 32.…”

“…In early Xenopus gastrulae, treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) and activin induces pluripotent ectodermal cells to differentiate into pronephros tissue (11)(12)(13)(14). Inhibition of RA signaling impairs pronephros formation (15,16).…”

Ca2+ coding and decoding strategies for the specification of neural and renal precursor cells during development

“…The structure of the nephron and the molecular mechanisms involved in its formation are evolutionary conserved [39][40][41]. Because of its simple organization and rapid development (i.e., the pronephros is functional within just 2 days), the amphibian pronephros provides an easy model to study how pluripotent mesodermal cells are committed to a renal fate [42]. Anotheradvantage of the amphibian model is that (as described previously) the use of the animal cap assay provides a simple and effective 2D model for investigating complex differentiation events and mechanisms [11].…”

TRPP2-dependent Ca2+ signaling in dorso-lateral mesoderm is required for kidney field establishment inXenopus

“…The structure of the nephron and the molecular mechanisms involved in its formation are evolutionarily conserved (Dressler, 2009;Saxen, 1987;Vize et al, 2003). In Xenopus laevis tadpoles, the functional pronephros is made of a single nephron, thus providing a simple system to study how pluripotent mesodermal cells are committed to a renal fate (Jones, 2005).…”