The opisthonephros of Rana esculenta (Anura). I. Nephron development

The development of opisthonephric nephrons in Rana esculenta generally follows the vertebrate scheme: mesenchymal cells from a blastemal cap that develops into an epitheloid, a comma-shaped, then an S-shaped body. The S-shaped body stage is followed by nephron stages I-IV. A standard pattern of nephrogenesis is maintained up to nephron stage I. In later stages (nephron stages II-IV) the arrangement of tubule loops and the position of the renal corpuscle depends on the space available in the kidney. As in mammals, anuran nephrogenesis is determined by coordinated differentiation processes: (1) induction, (2) cell polarization and proliferation, (3) morphogenetic processes, and, finally, 4) segmentation. It is further supported by growth processes of renal blood vessel analagen adjoining the nephron analoge. Ingrowth of glomerular capillary sprouts into the capsule analage is important for glomerulogenesis and differentiation of the adhesive zone. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.