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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant (ACT) Assay in Xenopus laevis
Published on: May 16, 2010
The secreted integrin ligand nephronectin is necessary for forelimb formation in Xenopus tropicalis
Anita Abu-Daya1, Satoko Nishimoto, Lynn Fairclough
1Division of Developmental Biology, MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK.
Abstract:
While limb regeneration has been extensively studied in amphibians, little is known about the initial events in limb formation in metamorphosing anurans. The small secreted integrin ligand nephronectin (npnt) is necessary for development of the metanephros in mouse. Although expressed in many tissues, its role in other developmental processes is not well-studied. Here we show that a transgene insertion that disrupts this gene ablates forelimb formation in Xenopus tropicalis. Our results suggest a novel role for integrin signalling in limb development, and represent the first insertional phenotype to be cloned in amphibians.
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