UNLABELLED The increasing prevalence of ranavirus (RV; Iridoviridae) infections of wild and commercially maintained aquatic species is raising considerable concerns. While Xenopus laevis is the leading model for studies of immunity to RV, amphibian antiviral interferon (IFN) responses remain largely uncharacterized. Accordingly, an X. laevis type I interferon was identified, the expression of t...

The single-pass transmembrane protein Ryk (atypical receptor related tyrosine kinase) functions as a Wnt receptor. However, Ryk's correlation with Wnt/Frizzled (Fz) signaling is poorly understood. Here, we report that Ryk regulates Xenopus laevis convergent extension (CE) movements via the beta-arrestin 2 (betaarr2)-dependent endocytic process triggered by noncanonical Wnt signaling. During X. ...

In contrast to the pattern of limb emergence in mammals, chicks, and the newt N. viridescens, embryos such as Xenopus laevis and Eleutherodactylus coqui initiate pelvic limb buds before they develop pectoral ones. We studied the expression of Pitx1 in X. laevis and E. coqui to determine if this paired-like homeodomain transcription factor directs differentiation specifically of the hindlimb, or...

RNA localization is of critical importance in many fundamental cell biological and developmental processes by regulating the spatial control of gene expression. To investigate how spindle-localized RNAs might influence mitosis, we comprehensively surveyed all messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that bound to microtubules during metaphase in both Xenopus laevis egg extracts and mitotic human cell extracts. W...

Besides conspicuous changes in behaviour, manipulative parasites may also induce subtle physiological effects in the host that may also be favourable to the parasite. In particular, parasites may be able to influence the re-allocation of resources in their own favour. We studied the association between the presence of the acanthocephalan parasite, Pomphorhynchus laevis, and inter-individual var...

Elms are threatened by Dutch elm disease, and conservation methods needed to protect their genetic diversity. Cryopreservation of dormant buds allows large numbers genotypes be conserved with small space requirements minimal upkeep. through slow controlled cooling was tested for both species native Finland, Ulmus glabra laevis. Regeneration the thawed micropropagation studied on different basal...

Using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, we demonstrate that melanopsin is localised in cells around the central pore of lateral line neuromasts in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Since melanopsin is a known photoreceptor pigment with diverse functions in vertebrates, we suggest that the lateral line of Xenopus laevis, which is primarily a mechanoreceptor, might also be li...

G-quadruplex topologies of telomeric repeat sequences from vertebrates were investigated in the presence of molecular crowding (MC) mimetics, namely polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG), Ficoll 70 as well as Xenopus laevis egg extract by CD and NMR spectroscopy and native PAGE. Here, we show that the conformational behavior of the telomeric repeats in X. laevis egg extract or in Ficoll is notably diff...

Host-parasite interactions of Pomphorhynchus laevis (Müller, 1776) in naturally infected amphipod, Echinogammarus stammeri (Karaman), from the Brenta River (northern Italy) are described. A fully developed acanthocephalan larva occupies a large portion of an amphipod's haemocoelic space; thus, the parasite frequently induces displacement of host digestive tract and other internal organs. Howeve...

The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis is an important model organism for studies in developmental and cell biology, including cell-signaling. However, our knowledge of X. laevis protein posttranslational modifications remains scarce. Here, we used a mass spectrometry-based approach to survey the phosphoproteome of this species, compiling a list of 3225 phosphosites. We used this resource to st...