In vivo investigation of cilia structure and function using Xenopus

Abstract

Cilia are key organelles in development and homeostasis. The ever-expanding complement of cilia associated proteins necessitates rapid and tractable models for in vivo functional investigation. Xenopus laevis provides an attractive model for such studies, having multiple ciliated populations, including primary and multiciliated tissues. The rapid external development of Xenopus and the large cells make it an especially excellent platform for imaging studies. Here we present embryological and cell biological methods for the investigation of cilia structure and function in X. laevis, with a focus on quantitative live and fixed imaging.

Keywords: Basal bodies; Cilia; Confocal microscopy; Intraflagellar transport; Multiciliated cells; Quantitative imaging; Xenopus.