title: Making muscle: Morphogenetic movements and molecular mechanisms of myogenesis in Xenopus laevis.
abstract: Xenopus laevis offers unprecedented access to the intricacies of muscle development. The large, robust embryos make it ideal for manipulations at both the tissue and molecular level. In particular, this model system can be used to fate map early muscle progenitors, visualize cell behaviors associated with somitogenesis, and examine the role of signaling pathways that underlie induction, specification, and differentiation of muscle. Several characteristics that are unique to X. laevis include myogenic waves with distinct gene expression profiles and the late formation of dermomyotome and sclerotome. Furthermore, myogenesis in the metamorphosing frog is biphasic, facilitating regeneration studies. In this review, we describe the morphogenetic movements that shape the somites and discuss signaling and transcriptional regulation during muscle development and regeneration. With recent advances in gene editing tools, X. laevis remains a premier model organism for dissecting the complex mechanisms underlying the specification, cell behaviors, and formation of the musculature system.
authors: Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors: Armbien
authors: A
authors: Sabillo
authors: Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, CA 94132, USA.
authors: Julio
authors: J
authors: Ramirez
authors: Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, CA 94132, USA. Electronic address: cdomingo@sfsu.edu.
authors: Carmen R
authors: CR
authors: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D024510:Muscle Development; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D019170:Somites / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
keywords: MRF; Muscle; Presomitic mesoderm; Regeneration; Somite; Xenopus laevis