Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Polarized Translocation of Fluorescent Proteins in Xenopus Ectoderm in Response to Wnt Signaling
Published on: May 26, 2011
The role of Xenopus frizzled-8 in pronephric development
Reiko Satow1, Te-chuan Chan, Makoto Asashima
1Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.
Abstract:
Vertebrates use two or three forms of kidney successively during development and the nephric duct is essential for this succession of kidney induction. While transcripts of many Wnt ligands and Wnt receptor Frizzled genes have been localized in developing kidney, the relationship between Wnt signaling and nephric duct development remains unknown. This study investigated the role of Xenopus frizzled-8 (Xfz8) in pronephros development. Translational inhibition of Xfz8 caused a significant reduction in the staining of a duct-specific antibody, but did not affect the expression of early pronephric maker genes in the duct region. Defects in pronephric tubule branching were also observed following inhibition of Xfz8. Histological analysis revealed that the Xfz8-inhibited cells failed to form a normal epithelium structure. These results suggest that Xfz8 is involved in the process of normal epithelium formation in the developing pronephric duct and tubules after specification.
Related Concept Videos
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Determination

