Xenopus tropicalis oocytes: more than just a beautiful genome

For more than 30 yr, Xenopus laevis has been the animal of choice for studying the biochemical regulation of the meiotic and early mitotic vertebrate cell cycles. Attracted by its diploid genome, several laboratories have begun using the similar, although evolutionarily distinct, frog Xenopus tropicalis for studies of vertebrate development. Comparisons between the two species indicate that their development is similar in most respects. Both frogs share many advantages, including their amenability to manipulation and their ability to produce large numbers of high-quality oocytes and eggs year round. In addition, X. tropicalis possesses several advantages that, when combined with its potential for genetic studies, makes it an attractive, complementary model for vertebrate developmental biology. In this chapter, we note some of these advantages and describe in detail techniques we have adapted for the study of meiosis in X. tropicalis.