BOOT CAMP ORGANISMS
What Is Developmental Biology?
Roadmap to the Embryo
Early Fish Development
Neural Fish Development
Mouse
Chick
Worm
Fly
Frog
Trainee Contributions
 
BOOT CAMP DIRECTORS
David Bader  Director
Hillary Hager Student Director
Rachel Skelton Student Director in Training
Kim Kane Support
 
BOOT CAMP INSTRUCTORS
David Bader   Basics
Josh Gamse  Fish
Maureen Gannon   Mouse
Hillary Hager  Chick
Trish Labosky  Mouse
Laura Lee  Fly
David Miller  Worm
Chris Wright  Frog


Day 17 of Boot Camp focuses on understanding the classic contributions of Xenopus laevis, or the frog to developmental biology research:

  • The first description of the organizer of the vertebrate embryo came from this species
  • Mesoderm inducers were first described in this species.
  • Animals were cloned first in this species.  The idea of nuclear equivalence over developmental time was first shown in this species
  • The identity and action of the principal mesoderm/endoderm-inducer was first described in this species
  • The concept of morphogen gradients inferred from studies in cockroaches and other species such as hydra, fruitfly (or other insects) embryos was first applied in this vertebrate.
  • The idea that suppression of intercellular communication signals betrayal direct physical interactions with inhibitors was first describe in this species.
  • The first homeobox genes from vertebrates were identified in this species.
  • The instructive principles behind, for example, eye, limb, ear development (concepts of ‘developmental fields’) were first explored in this species.
  • Cell cycle regulatory proteins cdc2/MPF studied first in this animal.
  • Roles of maternally deposited patterning molecules studied directly in this animal’s oocytes.

Before your training begins on Tuesday, July 28, you should read the following:

  • Gilbert's 7th Edition "Developmental Biology" - (pgs 25-31, 69-79, 81-90, and 305-343)
TRAINING DAY 17 - PRESENTATION (available)
TRAINING DAY 18 - PRESENTATION (available)
EARLY XENOPUS DEVELOPMENT MOVIES  (not yet available)
AIM 1
To describe frog fertilization as a cue for all future patterning, including the local activation of Wnt signaling
AIM 2
To discuss technical issues around the type of embryo represented by the holoblastic cleavage
AIM 3
To describe mesoderm and endoderm induction, and horsetail and anteroposterior patterning
 
SOME PROS & CONS OF USING XENOPUS LAEVIS IN RESEARCH
The frog embryo is big, externally available, and resilient to external manipulation (it will 'heal')
Frogs are expensive to maintain
There are no ES cells
no
 There are very few cultured cell lines, and some are of dubious origin
yes
 It has an excellent fate map and better lineage tracers
 

 

  

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Copyright 2004, Educational Technology, Biomedical Research Education & Training
 Last modified: Friday, July 24, 2009 by Kim.Kane@vanderbilt.edu