X-Nico

3 unusual facts about Xenopus


Biochemical switches in the cell cycle

In 2003 Pomerening et al. provided strong evidence for this hypothesis by demonstrating hysteresis and bistability in the activation of Cdk1 in the cytoplasmic extracts of Xenopus oocytes.

Casein kinase 1

Working with the Xenopus system, Davidson et al. screened for proteins that can regulate the Wnt signaling pathway by interacting with the Wnt receptor LRP.

PANX1

Studies in Xenopus oocytes suggest that this protein alone and in combination with pannexin 2 may form cell type-specific gap junctions with distinct properties.


Similar

Xenopus |

Cyclin A

A single cyclin A gene has been identified in Drosophila while Xenopus, mice and humans contain two distinct types of cyclin A: A1, the embryonic-specific form, and A2, the somatic form.

FGF and mesoderm formation

Activation of FGF by two ligands that function together, FGF4 and FGF8 (17) in Xenopus and FGF8 and FGF24 in zebrafish (18), is necessary for mesoderm formation.

Michael Zasloff

He is known for his work on innate immunity and antimicrobial peptides including the discovery of Magainin from the frog Xenopus laevis.

Proline-Rich Coiled Coil 1

Moderate conservation is maintained among other distant species such as: Gallus gallus, Xenopus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Tetraodon, etc.


see also