Current Genomics - Volume 4, Issue 8, 2003

During the last century amphibians have served as excellent models for developmental studies, in particular concerning early embryonic development. Since the 1950s (when they were first used in human pregnancy tests), the South-African claw-toed frog Xenopus laevis has been the most popular amphibian model organism. X. laevis is readily maintained in the laboratory, is commercially available, and can be induced Read More

A large variety of mammalian and non-mammalian animal models have been used in research designed to uncover fundamental mechanisms underlying development and disease. Genomics tools have become increasingly necessary for the molecular genetic analysis of important biological questions. However, there are few genomics resources available for the emerging vertebrate model Xenopus tropicalis. Here Read More

The Human Genome Project has resulted in the elucidation of the genomic sequence of a number of model organisms as well as a reference sequence for the human genome. The utility of these available genomes has been demonstrated by researchers throughout the world, and spurred the desire to obtain additional genomic information from a number of sources. The United States Department of Energy's Joint Genome Read More

The many advantages of the Xenopus experimental system for investigating vertebrate development are limited by the small number of database resources that exist to support this work. This deficit also affects the usefulness of Xenopus data to researchers using other model organism systems. A number of database resources are available, and the applicability of these resources to Xenopus researchers is described. T Read More

Recent advances in DNA microarray technology have opened the door for large-scale gene expression screening, functional analysis and genomic profiling. Microarrays offer a new opportunity for genome-wide studies and are quickly revolutionizing biological analyses. This review will focus on several important issues related to Xenopus DNA microarray technology, including the advantages of using this model system for array Read More

Amphibians have been favored organisms by experimental embryologists for more than a century. Their large, resilient embryos are ideal for manipulations, such as tissue transplantation, explantation and recombination, methods that have been used to demonstrate the existence and location of inducing centers in developing embryos and to define important embryological principles. Molecular biological approaches de Read More

Transposons or transposable elements (TEs) are segments of DNA that are able to mobilize from one region of DNA to another. TEs serve as powerful genetic tools in invertebrates such as Drosophila and in plants such as maize. With the molecular reconstruction of the salmonid transposon, Sleeping Beauty, it is possible to adapt transposon technology to vertebrate systems, and Xenopus is no exception. In this re Read More

The most direct approach to study the physiological role of a protein of unknown function (Functional Genomics) is to change its expression pattern in an intact organism and analyze the phenotypic consequences of this manipulation. The introduction of a method to generate stably transgenic Xenopus laevis has paved the way to the use of tissue / cell- and developmental stage-specific promoters allowing to study the physiolog Read More