Xenopus articles from across Nature Portfolio

Zinc fluxes have now been shown to be essential in the fertilization of amphibian eggs. Furthermore, manganese(ii), which is initially bound to low-molecular-weight carboxylates, is stored and released with zinc from cortical vesicles following fertilization. This rapid metal ion release blocks the otherwise fatal entry of a second sperm.

Mechanisms triggering meiotic divisions of oocytes remain unclear. Here, the authors report that meiosis resumption relies on the timely phosphorylation of Arpp19 protein at two distinct sites, which depends on two kinases (PKA and Gwl) and a single phosphatase (PP2A-B55δ).

The role of tissue mechanics in the regeneration of mucociliated epithelium in Xenopus is unclear. Here, the authors show that Xenopus ectoderm aggregates undergo epithelial-like phenotypic transition prior to differentiation of mucus-secreting goblet cells to enable regeneration.

Oxygen plays key roles in bioenergetics, metabolism, signaling pathways and developmental biology. This protocol describes how to perform quantitative oxygen flux measurements on cells, ex vivo tissues and various model animals in vivo.