Xenopus

Sally A. Moody, Professor and Chair of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience during which she studied motor axon guidance cues in the trigeminal system of the chick embryo. Throughout her career, she has continued to be interested in understanding the mechanisms of axon guidance, and has studied the role of lineage factors in Xenopus, extracellular matrix proteins in chick, and genetic mutations in mouse. As a postdoctoral fellow, she was introduced to the Xenopus embryo, which remains a favorite. She made extensive fate maps of the cleavage stage Xenopus embryos, identified maternal mRNAs that contribute to neural fate, elucidated proteomic and metabolomic changes that occur within specific lineages during cleavage stages, and demonstrated lineage influences on the determination of amacrine cell fate in the retina. Currently, her laboratory is studying the gene regulatory network that stabilizes neural fate downstream of neural induction, and identifying novel factors that are required for cranial sensory placode development. She has served on several editorial boards in the fields of neuroscience and developmental biology, and on the board of directors of several societies focused on developmental processes. Abraham Fainsod, Professor of Biochemistry and Wolfson Family Professor of Genetics at the Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his undergraduate studies at Hebrew University, he studied the genetic basis of chromosomal aberrations in cells in culture and continued for his Ph.D. in Genetics on the cloning and initial characterization of one of the first mammalian cell cycle genes. During his post-doctoral studies at Yale University, he focused on the early characterization of the Hox genes in mouse embryos. His interest on the genetic regulation of vertebrate embryonic development continued in his laboratory at Hebrew University focusing on the cloning and characterization of novel homeobox genes in the chicken embryo and in particular the multiple regulatory roles of the caudal homeobox genes. During a sabbatical at UCLA, he was introduced to the Xenopus embryo by Eddy De Robertis and his team, and since then shifted to this experimental system. He has studied the caudal genes, BMP signaling, and the size variability and scaling of morphogen gradients in Xenopus embryos. More recently, he is studying the biochemical, molecular and genetic origins of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, showing that alcohol interferes with Vitamin A metabolism causing a reduction in retinoic acid signaling and the many developmental malformations characteristic of this syndrome. Born in Mexico City, he has served as Chair of the Institute for Medical Sciences, the Department of Cellular Biochemistry and Human Genetics, the Human Genetics Program, the Undergraduate Studies Teaching Committee, and Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs.

Section I. 1. A quick history of Xenopus. 2. The study of cell division controla and DNA replication in Xenopus egg extracts. 3. Maternal gene control of embryogenesis: germ cell determination and germ layer formation. 4. Signaling components in dorsal-ventral patterning and the Organizer. 5. Signaling pathways in anterior-posterior patterning. 6. Wnt signaling in tissue differentiation and morphogenesis. 7. Multiple functions of Notch signaling during early embryogenesis. 8. The development and evolution of the vertebrate neural crest: Insights from Xenopus. 9. The use of Xenopus oocytes to study the biophysics and pharmacological properties of receptors and channels. Section II. 10. The continuing evolution of the Xenopus genome. 11. Dynamics of chromatin remodeling during Xenopus development. 12. Gene regulatory networks controlling Xenopus embryogenesis. 13. The development of high-resolution proteomic analyses in Xenopus. 14. Advances in genome editing tools. Section III. 15. Formation of the left-right axis: insights from the Xenopus model. 16. Discovering the function of congenital heart disease genes. 17. Craniofacial development and disorders - contributions of Xenopus. 18. Modeling digestive and respiratory system development and disease in Xenopus. 19. Functional neurobiology and insights into human disease. 20. Leaping towards the understanding of spinal cord regeneration. 21. Studying tumor formation and regulation in Xenopus. 22. Xenopus: a model to study natural genetic variation and its disease implications. 23. Using Xenopus to understand pluripotency and reprogram cells for therapeutic use.

Maternal gene control of embryogenesis. Chapter 8: Sex determination in Xenopus. Section II: Gene Discovery and Disease. Chapter 9: Xenopus and the discovery of developmental genes. Chapter 10: Systems Biology of Xenopus Embryogenesis. Chapter 11: Gene regulatory networks in craniofacial development. Chapter 12: Using Xenopus to discover regulation of GI development and disease. Chapter 13: Using Xenopus to discover the function of congenital heart disease genes. Chapter 14: Using Xenopus to discover the function of congenital kidney disease genes. Chapter 15: Using Xenopus to study genes involved in cancers. Section III: Evolution. Chapter 16: Evolution of amphibians. Chapter 17: Evolution of Xenopus communication. Chapter 18: Evolution of the immune system . Chapter 19: Evolution of the left-right axis. Chapter 20: Evolution of the Xenopus genome.