Rearing Xenopus laevis Life History Stages

 

Ron Koss and Bruce Wakeford

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2001, Volume 22

Abstract

The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, has been studied and used extensively, both at the research and teaching levels. The adult can survive a variety of artificial water conditions including differential pH, salinity, turbidity, and temperature, giving one the impression that all life history stages could be reared and maintained with ease. However, it has been our experience, when using conventional rearing protocols, that many developmental stages displayed stunted growth in terms of size and stage, and were subject to high mortality. Numbers of usable individuals was always unpredictable. Here we report comprehensive methods (using commercially available supplies) for consistently rearing Xenopus through the entire life cycle. These methods were developed to support laboratory exercises in an advanced animal developmental biology course and to provide new breeding stock for the department’s colony. They have proven to be reliable, cost-effective, and yielded consistent numbers of every life-cycle stage in an abridged life cycle time line.

Keywords:  development

Clemson University (2000)