This report describes the discovery and treatment of a multiagent infection in a captive colony of adult, female Xenopus laevis. Animals were determined to be infected with Saprolegnia sp, a relatively common fungal parasite in laboratory-housed frogs, and a less common ectoparasite, Epistylis sp, that had been described only once before in frogs. We discuss the diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of Epistylis and the importance of water-quality monitoring and husbandry in the care of these research animals.
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Regul Toxicol Pharmacol
January 2025
Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
The amphibian metamorphosis assay (AMA) is an in vivo screen to assess potential interactions of chemicals with the amphibian thyroid system. Tadpoles are exposed for 21-days, then assessed for development and growth after 7 days and at test termination. This paper presents data from studies performed to satisfy test orders from the US EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe brain and spinal cord originate from a neural tube that is preceded by a flat structure known as the neural plate during early embryogenesis. In humans, failure of the neural plate to convert into a tube by the fourth week of pregnancy leads to neural tube defects (NTDs), birth defects with serious neurological consequences. The signaling mechanisms governing the process of neural tube morphogenesis are unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPigment Cell Melanoma Res
January 2025
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Circadian regulation of skin pigmentation is essential for thermoregulation, ultraviolet (UV) protection, and synchronization of skin cell renewal. This regulation involves both cell-autonomous photic responses and non-cell-autonomous hormonal control, particularly through melatonin produced in a light-sensitive manner. Photosensitive opsins, cryptochromes, and melatonin regulate circadian rhythms in skin pigment cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Mater
January 2025
Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal.
Directed collective cell migration is essential for morphogenesis, and chemical, electrical, mechanical and topological features have been shown to guide cell migration in vitro. Here we provide in vivo evidence showing that endogenous electric fields drive the directed collective cell migration of an embryonic stem cell population-the cephalic neural crest of Xenopus laevis. We demonstrate that the voltage-sensitive phosphatase 1 is a key component of the molecular mechanism, enabling neural crest cells to specifically transduce electric fields into a directional cue in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroPubl Biol
December 2024
Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
In , axial elongation beyond the tailbud stage requires gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). However, the role of GABA synthesized during early development in this process remains unclear. In this study, by treating embryos with allylglycine (AG), an inhibitor of GABA synthesis, we observed a significant reduction in axial elongation.
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