Budgett's frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis): A new amphibian embryo for developmental biology.

ABSTRACT: The large size and rapid development of amphibian embryos has facilitated ground-breaking discoveries in developmental biology. Here, we describe the embryogenesis of the Budgett's frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis), an unusual species with eggs that are over twice the diameter of laboratory Xenopus, and embryos that can tolerate higher temperatures to develop into a tadpole four times more rapidly. In addition to detailing their early development, we demonstrate that, like Xenopus, these embryos are amenable to explant culture assays and can express exogenous transcripts in a tissue-specific manner. Moreover, the steep developmental trajectory and large scale of Lepidobatrachus make it exceptionally well-suited for morphogenesis research. For example, the developing organs of the Budgett's fro

SUBMITTER: Amin NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4670266 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature