Why Sequence the Western Clawed Frog?

Xenopus tropicalis is a unique resource for two critical areas in  vertebrate biology: early embryonic development and cell biology. In the former, Xenopus laevis has led the way in identifying the mechanisms of early fate decisions, patterning of the basic vertebrate body plan, and early organogenesis.

Contributions in cell biology and biochemistry include seminal work on chromosome replication, chromatin and nuclear assembly, control of the cell-cycle components, in-vitro reconstruction of cytoskeletal element dynamics, and signaling pathways. In fact, Xenopus has become a major vertebrate model for the cellular and developmental biology research that is supported by most of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health. For more information, download the Xenopus tropicalis Genome Project white paper (MS Word).

Genome Portal site: Xenopus tropicalis