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The article discusses the concept of basal cognition, which suggests that intelligence and cognitive abilities can exist in organisms without brains. It explores the research of Michael Levin, a biologist at Tufts University, who has been studying the role of bioelectricity in cellular communication and coordination. Levin's experiments with planaria worms and African clawed frogs have shown that changes in voltage can affect cell behavior and development, including regeneration and body shape control. The article challenges the idea that true cognition is exclusive to humans and suggests that intelligence may be more widespread in the natural world. This research has potential implications for understanding the evolution of cognition and could have applications in cancer therapy, organ regeneration, and artificial intelligence. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the groundbreaking collaboration between biologists and roboticists that resulted in the creation of living machines from frog stem cells. Topics discussed include the development of xenobots using evolutionary algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), their ability to perform tasks like walking and swimming, and their potential applications in environmental sensing and biomedical fields.

This text is a personal reflection on the author's grandmother and her love for frogs. It explores the author's memories of their grandmother's house filled with frog-themed items and reflects on their complex relationship with their mother. The text also briefly discusses the symbolism and cultural associations of frogs. Additionally, the text delves into the narrator's personal experiences with love, loss, and self-discovery, drawing parallels to the fairytale character Vasalisa. It encourages women to prioritize their own happiness and fulfillment and explores the concept of metamorphosis through the lens of frogs and personal growth. The text concludes with a sense of openness to the unknown and the potential for personal transformation. [Extracted from the article]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of writing about a dead frog named Bunky that she and her husband had kept in their freezer for several months.

According to a preprint abstract from biorxiv.org, Marcks and Marcksl1 proteins have been found to play important roles in spinal cord development and regeneration in Xenopus laevis. These proteins are involved in various cellular processes, such as cytoskeletal dynamics, proliferation, and secretion. The study showed that Marcks and Marcksl1 are necessary for normal neurite outgrowth and proliferation of neuro-glial progenitors during embryonic spinal cord development, as well as for spinal cord regeneration during tadpole stages. The findings suggest that targeting these proteins and the associated phospholipase D signaling pathway could potentially stimulate spinal cord regeneration in human patients. However, it is important to note that this research has not yet undergone peer review. [Extracted from the article]

Experiments on tadpoles have provided insights into intestinal malrotation, a birth anomaly that affects as many as 1 in 500 babies in the United States. Researchers found that interfering with tadpoles' metabolism caused their intestines to grow in the opposite direction. The study used frog embryos because their intestines are similar to those of humans, and the researchers exposed them to atrazine, a common herbicide and hormone disruptor. While the study does not prove that atrazine causes intestinal malrotation in humans, it suggests that metabolic disruption may play a role. Additionally, tadpoles given antioxidants before exposure to atrazine developed normal intestines, indicating a potential avenue for further research. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study investigated the developmental mechanisms of brain enlargement in a variant line of Xenopus frogs. The offspring from this variant line showed an enlarged brain with a pronounced rostral bias, which could be traced back to the neural plate. The researchers found that aberrant Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, specifically the expansion of siamois expression and the Spemann organizer, played a role in this brain enlargement. This study provides insights into the genetic mutations that may drive morphogenetic variations in vertebrate brain evolution. However, it is important to note that this preprint has not yet undergone peer review. [Extracted from the article]

Preludes THEY APPEAR, AT FIRST, like toy tops spinning around a petri dish, etching squiggly patterns on the plate as if it were an ice rink. So Kriegman and Bongard created an algorithm that took real-world environments and went through billions of robot shapes and designs in order to make soft robot models that could potentially perform useful tasks. As Kriegman and Bongard tweaked their algorithm to generate new shapes and designs for xenobots, Blackiston and Levin began building them and testing them for different tasks. [Extracted from the article]

A recent preprint abstract discusses the role of the SF3B4 gene in Nager syndrome, a rare craniofacial and limb disorder. The study used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to create a mutant line of Xenopus tropicalis with a sf3b4 mutation. The researchers found that homozygous deletion of sf3b4 caused significant splicing defects and gene dysregulation, leading to disruptions in cranial neural crest cell migration and survival. This research suggests that SF3B4 plays an essential role in craniofacial development. However, it is important to note that this preprint has not yet undergone peer review. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted at the University of Paris Saclay in France explores the regenerative abilities of the Xenopus retina in response to retinal degeneration. The researchers found that retinal repair can involve the mobilization of different cellular sources, including ciliary marginal zone (CMZ) stem cells, the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), or Muller glia. The magnitude of retinal damage was found to influence the regeneration modality, with limited neurotoxicity triggering cone loss and a few Muller cells reentering the cell cycle, while severe degeneration enhanced CMZ activity and triggered RPE reprogramming. The study highlights the critical role of the injury paradigm and reveals that three cellular sources can be reactivated in the same degenerative model. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study from Boston University examines the use of the drug ivermectin in inducing a melanoma-like state in Xenopus embryos. While previous literature suggested that ivermectin could be used to test potential melanoma therapies, this review finds inconsistencies between studies in Xenopus and the application of ivermectin in mammalian systems. The researchers conclude that while ivermectin may have biomedical uses, it is not ideal for inducing a metastatic melanocyte phenotype in Xenopus for testing melanoma therapeutics. This research was funded by the Lawrence Ellison Foundation and the American Cancer Society. [Extracted from the article]

A revised single-cell transcriptomic atlas of Xenopus embryos has been released, providing improved gene mapping, read counts, and nomenclature of genes and cell types. The new atlas utilizes the most recent version of the Xenopus tropicalis genome and modern alignment pipelines. The cell type annotation in the atlas takes into account the transient nature of progenitor cells in early embryos, providing a fuzzy rather than deterministic cell type attribution. The resource includes interactive browsing on a web portal and allows for complete data download. [Extracted from the article]

A study conducted at the University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic examined the effects of mifepristone, a synthetic progesterone receptor-blocking steroid hormone, on the development of African clawed frogs. The researchers exposed tadpoles to different concentrations of mifepristone and found that it had no significant negative effects on tadpole development, morphological anomalies, weight, body length, or sex ratio. However, at the highest concentration tested, gene expression analysis revealed up-regulation of certain receptors in the brain-pituitary complex, which could have negative consequences for reproduction and reproductive behavior later in life. The study was published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Paris Saclay in Gif-sur-Yvette, France, explores the potential of stimulating self-repair in retinal neurodegenerative diseases, which are a leading cause of blindness. The study focuses on the Muller glial cell, which has regenerative capabilities in certain animals but is limited in mammals. The researchers developed various retinal injury models in Xenopus tadpoles to study the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal regeneration. The study concludes by describing the advantages and disadvantages of these models for studying retinal regeneration in Xenopus. This research has been peer-reviewed and provides valuable insights for the development of therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine. [Extracted from the article]

Presents experiments which determined the origins of nerve-cell specificity. Reasons for the selection of Xenopus in a study of locus specificity; Illustration of the spatial patterning of nerve-cell differentiation; Conclusions derived from the experiments.

Researchers from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology have conducted studies on hearing loss, specifically focusing on congenital hearing loss syndromes such as branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BOR). They have used Xenopus, an aquatic animal model with genomic similarities to humans, to identify potential candidate genes involved in these syndromes. By combining Drosophila mutants, protein biochemical assays, and transcriptomic, yeast 2-hybrid, and proteomic approaches, they have discovered a large number of new candidates. The researchers also discuss how they are investigating the interactions between Six1 and co-factors in directing normal otic development. This research has been peer-reviewed and can be found in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B Molecular and Developmental Evolution. [Extracted from the article]

Guangzhou, People's Republic of China, Asia, Enterobacteriaceae, Foodborne Diseases and Conditions, Gammaproteobacteria, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods, Proteobacteria, Risk and Prevention, Shigella, Shigella flexneri Keywords: Guangzhou; People's Republic of China; Asia; Enterobacteriaceae; Foodborne Diseases and Conditions; Gammaproteobacteria; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods; Proteobacteria; Risk and Prevention; Shigella; Shigella flexneri EN Guangzhou People's Republic of China Asia Enterobacteriaceae Foodborne Diseases and Conditions Gammaproteobacteria Gram-Negative Bacteria Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods Proteobacteria Risk and Prevention Shigella Shigella flexneri 50 50 1 10/03/23 20231005 NES 231005 2023 OCT 5 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Food Weekly News -- New research on Gram-Negative Bacteria - Shigella flexneri is the subject of a report. Keywords for this news article include: Asia, Guangzhou, Shigella flexneri, Enterobacteriaceae, Gammaproteobacteria, Risk and Prevention, Gram-Negative Bacteria, People's Republic of China, Foodborne Diseases and Conditions, Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods. [Extracted from the article]

Brain, Central Nervous System, Diencephalon, Health and Medicine, Molecular Science, Science, Thalamus Keywords: Brain; Central Nervous System; Diencephalon; Health and Medicine; Molecular Science; Science; Thalamus EN Brain Central Nervous System Diencephalon Health and Medicine Molecular Science Science Thalamus 4759 4759 1 09/25/23 20230929 NES 230929 2023 SEP 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Investigators publish new report on molecular science. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the creation of a microscopic living robot called Xenobots by Michael Levin and his colleagues at Tufts University in Massachusetts which can heal and power itself out of skin cells of Xenopus laevis. Topics discussed include how the xenobots were created, fundamental finding when one liberates skin cells from their normal context and gives them a chance to reimagine their multicellularity, and ethical concerns raised in previous attempts at creating living robots.

TECH THE AFRICAN CLAWED FROG, Xenopus laevis, typically lives in the streams and ponds of sub-Saharan Africa, scavenging for food that it rips apart with its feet. They harvested its embryonic skin and heart cells and reassembled the living matter into robotic devices - transforming Xenopus into xenobot. Behaviors are programmed entirely through the structural arrangement of the pulsating heart cells held in a matrix of rigid skin cells. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Cancer; Health and Medicine; Oncology EN Cancer Health and Medicine Oncology 954 954 1 07/10/23 20230711 NES 230711 2023 JUL 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Cancer Weekly -- Researchers detail new data in cancer. Furthermore, in multiple cancer types, PPP4C-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in pattern specification, morphogenesis, and canonical Wnt activation. [Extracted from the article]

Xenopus vasa-like gene 1 (XVLG1), a DEAD-Box Helicase 4 (DDX4) gene identified as a vertebrate vasa homologue, is required for the formation of primordial germ cells (PGCs). However, it remains to be clarified when and how XVLG1 functions in the formation of the germ cells. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying XVLG1 during PGC development, we injected XVLG1 morpholino oligos into germ-plasm containing blastomeres of 32-cell stage of Xenopus embryos, and traced cell fates of the injected blastomere-derived PGCs. As a result of this procedure, migration of the PGCs was impaired and the number of PGCs derived from the blastomeres was significantly decreased. In addition, TUNEL staining in combination with in situ hybridization revealed that the loss of PGCs peaked at stage 27 was caused by apoptosis. This data strongly suggests an essential role for XVLG1 in migration and survival of the germ cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis has a female heterogametic ZZ/ZW-type sex-determining system. We previously discovered a W-linked female sex-determining gene dm-W that is involved in ovary formation, probably through the up-regulation of the estrogen synthesis genes cyp19a1 and foxl2. We also reported that a unique 'mass-in-line structure', which disappears from ZZ gonads during early testicular development, might serve as the basis for ovary differentiation in ZW gonads. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying early masculinization are poorly understood. To elucidate the development of bipotential gonads into testes after sex determination in this species, we focused on the orthologs of five mammalian sex-related genes: three nuclear factor genes, dax1, sf1 (also known as ad4bp), and sox9, and two genes encoding members of the tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β) family, anti-Müllerian hormone ( amh) and inhibin βb ( inhbb). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of dax1, sox9, amh, and inhbb or sf1 was greatly or slightly higher in ZZ than in ZW gonads during early sex development. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that amh and inhbb mRNAs were expressed in somatic cells on the inner and outer sides of cell masses in the mass-in-line structure, respectively, in the developing ZZ gonads. Interestingly, estrogen exposure prevented the disappearance of the mass-in-line structure in early developing ZZ tadpoles. These findings suggest that TGF-β signaling is involved in the destruction of the mass-in-line structure, which may be maintained by estrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Tennessee, "A 3-year-old intact female axolotl was presented with a pigmented bilobed right proximal tail mass and a vascular left proximal tail mass. For more information on this research see: Chromatophoromas On the Tail of a Pet Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum) With Presumptive Metastasis. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses research which indicates that African clawed frogs do engage in cannibalism when placed in tanks with tadpoles of their own species and those of the endangered Cape platanna (Cape clawed frog) species, and it mentions a preference for Cape platanna tadpoles.

11-Hydroxycorticosteroids, Adrenal Cortex Hormones, Corticosterone, Endocrinology, Genetics, Health and Medicine Keywords: 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Corticosterone; Endocrinology; Genetics; Health and Medicine EN 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids Adrenal Cortex Hormones Corticosterone Endocrinology Genetics Health and Medicine 2023 FEB 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Investigators publish new report on endocrinology. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on initial animal studies focused on adaptability to and logistics of travel as many nations attempted the race to space and animals were often jetted into the sky by themselves or in small groups, and some even making multiple trips. Topics include the genetic sequencing and our understanding of an animal's life on Earth inform which creatures are best suited for a research mission.

Factors affecting survival of parasites introduced to new geographical regions include changes in environmental temperature. Protopolystoma xenopodis is a monogenean introduced with the amphibian Xenopus laevis from South Africa to Wales (probably in the 1960s) where low water temperatures impose major constraints on life-cycle processes. Effects were quantified by maintenance of eggs from infections in Wales under controlled conditions at 10, 12, 15, 18, 20 and 25°C. The threshold for egg viability/ development was 15°C. Mean times to hatching were 22 days at 25°C, 32 days at 20°C, extending to 66 days at 15°C. Field temperature records provided calibration of transmission schedules. Although egg production continues year-round, all eggs produced during >8 months/ year die without hatching. Output contributing significantly to transmission is restricted to 10 weeks (May–mid-July). Host infection, beginning after a time lag of 8 weeks for egg development, is also restricted to 10 weeks (July–September). Habitat temperatures (mean 15·5°C in summer 2008) allow only a narrow margin for life-cycle progress: even small temperature increases, predicted with ‘global warming’, enhance infection. This system provides empirical data on the metrics of transmission permitting long-term persistence of isolated parasite populations in limiting environments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The monogenean Protopolystoma xenopodis has been established in Wales for >40 years following introduction with Xenopus laevis from South Africa. This provides an experimental system for determining constraints affecting introduced species in novel environments. Parasite development post-infection was followed at 15, 20 and 25°C for 15 weeks and at 10°C for ⩾1 year and correlated with temperatures recorded in Wales. Development was slowed/arrested at ⩽10°C which reflects habitat conditions for >6 months/year. There was wide variation in growth at constant temperature (body size differing by >10 times) potentially attributable in part to genotype-specific host-parasite interactions. Parasite density had no effect on size but host sex did: worms in males were 1·8 times larger than in females. Minimum time to patency was 51 days at 25°C and 73 days at 20°C although some infections were still not patent at both temperatures by 105 days p.i. In Wales, fastest developing infections may mature within one summer (about 12 weeks), possibly accelerated by movements of hosts into warmer surface waters. Otherwise, development slows/stops in October–April, delaying patency to about 1 year p.i., while wide variation in developmental rates may impose delays of 2 years in some primary infections and even longer in secondary infections. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Here we report a novel small protein that is highly conserved across vertebrates. The protein, which we have named TRIQK, has no homology to any previously reported proteins or functional domains, but all vertebrate homologs of this protein share a characteristic triple repeat of the sequence QXXK/R, as well as a hydrophobic C-terminal region. The Xenopus triqk gene (xTriqk) was isolated in an expression screen on the basis of its ability to cause dramatic changes in cell size and nuclear size and morphology in developing embryos. The Xenopus and mouse triqk genes are broadly expressed throughout embryogenesis, and mtriqk is also generally expressed in mouse adult tissues. TRIOK proteins are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Depletion of endogenous xTRIQK protein in Xenopus embryos causes no detectable morphological or functional changes in tadpoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MagicHouse.org Tour the Missouri State Capitol JEFFERSON CITY /// Narrated virtual tour including the grounds. YouTube.com/missouricapitol Roller Coaster Ride EUREKA /// "Ride" the most popular roller coasters and learn the physics behind the attractions. Facebook.com/ nationaltigersanctuary Planting Lettuce & Singing Goblets ST. LOUIS /// Plus a virtual tour of the museum collections, African clawed frogs, and much more at the Saint Louis Science Center. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports that Members of all grades are encouraged to attend the Society's annual general meeting, which will take place at the University of London, and members from all grades are invited to attend the AGM, but only those members at grades MRSB and above are entitled to vote.

The article informs that Society's gala dinner at London's Science Museum with Sir David Attenborough has sold out. An extra tickets put on sale sold out in less minutes and the volume of traffic temporarily crashed the RSB website.

The Wnt signaling pathways are important in many developmental events. The canonical Wnt pathway is one of the three major Wnt-mediated intracellular signaling pathways and is thought to activate Dvl followed by the stabilization of β-catenin. In Xenopus, this pathway is involved in dorsal determination, anterior-posterior patterning during gastrulation, and neural induction. Here we describe a role for the Xenopus ELL ( Eleven-nineteen Lysine-rich Leukemia ) gene product in canonical Wnt signaling. Translocation of ELL has been associated with acute myeloid leukemia and the protein possesses three functional domains. We identified rELL-C from a rat brain cDNA library as a binding factor for Dishevelled (Dvl); it represents a partial sequence of rat ELL lacking the pol II elongation domain and has been shown to suppress canonical Wnt signaling. Next, we isolated two Xenopus homologs of ELL, xELL1 and xELL2. No obvious phenotypes were observed with microinjection of full-length xELL1 or xELL2 mRNA, however, microinjection with their occludin homology domain inhibited Wnt signaling at the level of Dvl and upstream of β-catenin. Intracellular localization of microinjected xELL1- and xELL2-GFP mRNAs showed localization of the full-length products in the nucleus and the occludin-homology domain products in cytoplasm. These results raise the possibility that ELL, which is thought to function as a transcription factor in nuclei, can serve other, novel roles to suppress canonical Wnt signaling in the cytoplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on history of development of fate mapping, a method of understanding the embryonic origin of tissues, developed by Edwin Conklin while observing the development of tunicates Styela partita. Topics discussed include use of vital dyes to follow movements of cells in Xenopus frog embryos by embryologist Walter Vogt, use of the technique to map the mouse midbrain and anterior hindbrain by biologist Alexandra Joyner, and study origin of urothelium by researcher Cathy Mendelsohn.

Presents information on how biodiversity is related to human heath and medicine. The author's conversations with Michael Zasloff, biochemist and physician; His founding of Magainin Pharmaceuticals; His discovery that African clawed frogs secrete a previously unknown family of antibiotics from their skin; The importance of the discovery; How frogs are disappearing around the world.

Reports that Michael Zasloff of the U.S. National Institutes of Health has identified a new class of antimicrobial compounds in the skin of the African clawed frog, Xenopus. Role of the compounds as a simple chemical defense against infection; Method used to determine the potent antibacterial activity in the skin extract; Suggestion made regarding the ability of magainin molecules to form helixes that are the right length to span a cell membrane.

The article presents research on the cross-limb communication during the regenerative response of Xenopus hindlimb.

The article focuses on the effort towards the removal of African clawed frogs in the coastal waterways and flood control basins in California. It mentions that the African clawed frogs were released in the medical labs of California after it was found out that Rabbits are much better used for the pregnancy tests for women. State Department of fish and game supervisor James St. Amant says that the removal of the frogs will be difficult particularly in looking for an animal that may feed on them.

The article discusses a March 11, 2015 report in the "Journal of Neuroscience" on research by Michael Levin and colleagues that found manipulating the electric charge across the cell membranes fixed defects in developing African clawed frog embryos. Topics include the importance of membrane potential and its role in development, cells' use of electrical activity to communicate, and the effect of changing the voltage on brain tissue growth.