PACT/PRKRA and p53 regulate transcriptional activity of DMRT1 by Kazuko Fujitani, Asako Otomo, Yuto Nagayama, Taro Tachibana, Rika Kato, Yusuke Kawashima, Yoshio Kodera, Tomoko Kato, Shuji Takada, Kei Tamura, Nobuhiko Takamatsu, Michihiko Ito

“…Abstract The transcription factor DMRT1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor) has two distinct functions, somatic-cell masculinization and germ-cell development in some vertebrate species, including mouse and the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. However, its transcriptional regulation remains unclear. …”
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The odds of duplicate gene persistence after polyploidization by Chain Frédéric JJ, Dushoff Jonathan, Evans Ben J

“…</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we quantify the degree to which genetic parameters related to gene expression, molecular evolution, and gene structure in a diploid frog - <it>Silurana tropicalis </it>- influence the odds of functional persistence of orthologous duplicate genes in a closely related tetraploid species - <it>Xenopus laevis</it>. Using public databases and 454 pyrosequencing, we obtained genetic and expression data from <it>S. tropicalis </it>orthologs of 3,387 <it>X. laevis </it>paralogs and 4,746 <it>X. laevis </it>singletons - the most comprehensive dataset for African clawed frogs yet analyzed. …”
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A molecular atlas of the developing ectoderm defines neural, neural crest, placode, and nonneural progenitor identity in vertebrates. by Jean-Louis Plouhinec, Sofía Medina-Ruiz, Caroline Borday, Elsa Bernard, Jean-Philippe Vert, Michael B Eisen, Richard M Harland, Anne H Monsoro-Burq

“…During vertebrate neurulation, the embryonic ectoderm is patterned into lineage progenitors for neural plate, neural crest, placodes and epidermis. Here, we use Xenopus laevis embryos to analyze the spatial and temporal transcriptome of distinct ectodermal domains in the course of neurulation, during the establishment of cell lineages. …”
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Conservation of Glomerular Organization in the Main Olfactory Bulb of Anuran Larvae by Lukas Weiss, Lucas D. Jungblut, Andrea G. Pozzi, Lauren A. O’Connell, Thomas Hassenklöver, Ivan Manzini

“…In anurans, glomerular clustering is so far only described in Xenopus laevis. We traced olfactory projections to the bulb in tadpoles belonging to six distantly related anuran species in four families (Pipidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Dendrobatidae) and found that glomerular clustering is remarkably conserved. …”
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Phagocytosis by thrombocytes is a conserved innate immune mechanism in lower vertebrates by Takahiro eNagasawa, Chihaya eNakayasu, Aja M. Rieger, Daniel R. Barreda, Tomonori eSomamoto, Miki eNakao

“…We find that this potent phagocytic activity is shared across teleost (Paralichthys olivaceus) and amphibian (Xenopus laevis) models examined, implying its conservation throughout the lower vertebrate lineage. …”
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The cellular basis of cartilage growth and shape change in larval and metamorphosing Xenopus frogs by Christopher S. Rose

“…Histology and immunohistochemistry are used to describe and quantify patterns and trends in chondrocyte size, shape, division, death, and arrangement, and in percent matrix from hatchling to froglet for the lower jaw, hyoid and branchial arch cartilages of Xenopus laevis. The results are interpreted and integrated into programs of cell behaviors that account for the larval growth and histology, and metamorphic remodeling of each element. …”
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From actin waves to mechanism and back: How theory aids biological understanding by Carsten Beta, Leah Edelstein-Keshet, Nir Gov, Arik Yochelis

“…Here, we survey methods and hypotheses for actin waves based on signaling networks, mechano-chemical effects, and transport characteristics, with examples drawn from Dictyostelium discoideum, human neutrophils, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Xenopus laevis oocytes. While experimentalists focus on the details of molecular components, theorists pose a central question of universality: Are there generic, model-independent, underlying principles, or just boundless cell-specific details? …”
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Aquaporins Mediate Silicon Transport in Humans. by Alexandre P Garneau, Gabriel A Carpentier, Andrée-Anne Marcoux, Rachelle Frenette-Cotton, Charles F Simard, Wilfried Rémus-Borel, Luc Caron, Mariève Jacob-Wagner, Micheline Noël, Jonathan J Powell, Richard Bélanger, François Côté, Paul Isenring

“…Here, we show for the first time that the human aquaglyceroporins, i.e., AQP3, AQP7, AQP9 and AQP10 can act as silicon transporters in both Xenopus laevis oocytes and HEK-293 cells. In particular, heterologously expressed AQP7, AQP9 and AQP10 are all able to induce robust, saturable, phloretin-sensitive silicon transport activity in the range that was observed for low silicon rice 1 (lsi1), a silicon transporter in plant. …”
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A trafficking-deficient mutant of KCC3 reveals dominant-negative effects on K-Cl cotransport function. by Jinlong Ding, José Ponce-Coria, Eric Delpire

“…In the process of cloning the mouse KCC3 cDNA, we came across a cloning mutation (E289G) that rendered the cotransporter inactive in functional assays in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Through biochemical studies, we demonstrate that the mutant E289G cotransporter is glycosylation-deficient, does not move beyond the endoplasmic reticulum or the early Golgi, and thus fails to reach the plasma membrane. …”
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Expresión heteróloga de ARN mensajeros de Leishmania en ovocitos de anfibios by Rubén Darío Arroyo Olarte, María Marcela Camacho Navarro

“…La técnica de expresión heteróloga en ovocitos de Xenopus laevis ha sido ampliamente utilizada para la caracterización funcional de canales iónicos. …”
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Ventx factors function as Nanog-like guardians of developmental potential in Xenopus. by Pierluigi Scerbo, Fabrice Girardot, Céline Vivien, Gabriel V Markov, Guillaume Luxardi, Barbara Demeneix, Laurent Kodjabachian, Laurent Coen

“…Here, we reassess the role of ventx activity in Xenopus laevis embryos and demonstrate that they play an unanticipated role as guardians of high developmental potential during early development. …”
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Mitochondrial cellular organization and shape fluctuations are differentially modulated by cytoskeletal networks by Agustina Belén Fernández Casafuz, María Cecilia De Rossi, Luciana Bruno

“…Here, we explored how the integrity of the cytoskeleton affects the cellular organization, morphology and mobility of mitochondria in Xenopus laevis melanocytes. Cells were imaged in control condition and after different treatments that selectively affect specific cytoskeletal networks (microtubules, F-actin and vimentin filaments). …”
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RNA localization during early development of the axolotl by Kateřina Šimková, Ravindra Naraine, Jan Vintr, Vladimír Soukup, Radek Šindelka

“…One of the most popular model organisms for early embryogenesis studies is Xenopus laevis but there is a lack of information in other animal species. …”
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Somitic mesoderm morphogenesis is necessary for neural tube closure during Xenopus development by Neophytos Christodoulou, Paris A. Skourides

“…While the intrinsic morphogenetic events shaping the neuroepithelium have been studied extensively, how tissues mechanically coupled with the neural plate influence neural tube closure remains poorly understood. Here, using Xenopus laevis embryos, live imaging in combination with loss of function experiments and morphometric analysis of fixed samples we explore the reciprocal mechanical communication between the neural plate and the somitic mesoderm and its impact on tissue morphogenesis. …”
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The cellular basis of cartilage growth and shape change in larval and metamorphosing Xenopus frogs. by Christopher S Rose

“…Histology and immunohistochemistry are used to describe and quantify patterns and trends in chondrocyte size, shape, division, death, and arrangement, and in percent matrix from hatchling to froglet for the lower jaw, hyoid and branchial arch cartilages of Xenopus laevis. The results are interpreted and integrated into programs of cell behaviors that account for the larval growth and histology, and metamorphic remodeling of each element. …”
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A second-generation device for automated training and quantitative behavior analyses of molecularly-tractable model organisms. by Douglas Blackiston, Tal Shomrat, Cindy L Nicolas, Christopher Granata, Michael Levin

“…Molecularly-tractable model systems such as Xenopus laevis and planaria offer an unprecedented opportunity to dissect the mechanisms determining the complex structure of the brain and CNS. …”
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A functional approach to understanding the role of NCKX5 in Xenopus pigmentation. by Ruth M Williams, Robert J Winkfein, Rebecca S Ginger, Martin R Green, Paul P Schnetkamp, Grant N Wheeler

“…Our data suggest NCKX5 may have an alternative activity that is key to its role in the regulation of pigmentation. Here Xenopus laevis is employed as an in vivo model system to further investigate the function of NCKX5 in pigmentation. …”
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Structural and functional similarity of amphibian constitutive androstane receptor with mammalian pregnane X receptor. by Marianne Mathäs, Christian Nusshag, Oliver Burk, Ute Gödtel-Armbrust, Holger Herlyn, Leszek Wojnowski, Björn Windshügel

“…While human and mouse CAR feature a high basal activity and low induction upon ligand exposure, we recently identified two constitutive androstane receptors in Xenopus laevis (xlCARá and â) that possess PXR-like characteristics such as low basal activity and activation in response to structurally diverse compounds. …”
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Protocol to identify ligands of odorant receptors using two-electrode voltage clamp combined with the Xenopus oocytes heterologous expression system by Song Cao, Yang Liu, Guirong Wang

“…Summary: Two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) combined with the Xenopus laevis oocytes heterologous expression system is a powerful electrophysiological tool widely used to study the properties of many transmembrane proteins. …”
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Germ plasm in <it>Eleutherodactylus coqui</it>, a direct developing frog with large eggs by Elinson Richard P, Sabo Michelle C, Fisher Cara, Yamaguchi Takeshi, Orii Hidefumi, Nath Kimberly

“…<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>RNAs for embryo patterning and for germ cell specification are localized to the vegetal cortex of the oocyte of <it>Xenopus laevis</it>. In oocytes of the direct developing frog <it>Eleutherodactylus coqui</it>, orthologous RNAs for patterning are not localized, raising the question as to whether RNAs and other components of germ plasm are localized in this species.…”
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