Microscopy Tools for Quantifying Developmental Dynamics in Xenopus Embryos

摘要: Early Xenopus embryos, and embryonic tissues isolated from them, are excellent model systems to study morphogenesis. Cells migrate, change shape differentiate form new as embryos mature recapitulate those same processes in tissue isolates. Both large-scale small-scale cell movements can be visualized with a range of microscopy techniques. Furthermore, protein dynamics, fine scale movements, changes morphology observed simultaneously multi-cellular structures sculpted. We provide an overview complementary methods for visualizing macroscopic sub-cellular dynamics. Time-lapse imaging followed by quantitative image analysis aims answers some the long standing questions developmental biology: How do form? cells acquire specific shapes? proteins localize positions? To address these we suggest strategies 1) visualize whole isolates using stereoscopes epifluorescence techniques, 2) shapes expression high resolution live confocal microscopy. These approaches along simple tools us ways understand complex biology underlying