Obtaining Xenopus laevis Embryos

The embryos of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, are a powerful substrate for the study of complex fundamental biological and disease mechanisms in neurobiology, physiology, molecular biology, cell biology, and developmental biology. A simple and straightforward technique for generating a large number of developmentally synchronized embryos is in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF permits simultaneous fertilization of thousands of eggs but requires the death of the parental male, which may not be feasible if the male comes from a stock of precious animals. An alternative to euthanizing a precious male is to use a natural mating, which allows for the collection of many embryos with minimal preparation but with the potential loss of the experimental advantage of developmental synchronization. Here we present both strategies for obtaining X. laevis embryos.