Control of retinal growth and axon divergence at the chiasm: lessons from Xenopus

Metamorphosis in frogs is a critical developmental process through which a tadpole changes into an adult froglet. Metamorphic changes include external morphological transformations as well as important changes in the wiring of sensory organs and central nervous system. This review aims to provide an overview on the events that occur in the visual system of metamorphosing amphibians and to discuss recent studies that provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms that control changes in the retinal growth pattern as well as the formation of new axonal pathways in the central nervous system. BioEssays 23:319-326, 2001.