Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10025, USA, and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Gigascience. 2024 Jan 2;13. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giae037.
Xenopus laevis, the African clawed frog, is a versatile vertebrate model organism in various biological disciplines, prominently in developmental biology to study body plan reorganization during metamorphosis. However, a notable gap exists in the availability of comprehensive datasets encompassing Xenopus' late developmental stages.
This study utilized micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), a noninvasive 3-dimensional (3D) imaging technique with micrometer-scale resolution, to explore the developmental dynamics and morphological changes in Xenopus laevis. Our approach involved generating high-resolution images and computed 3D models of developing Xenopus specimens, spanning from premetamorphosis tadpoles to fully mature adults. This dataset enhances our understanding of vertebrate development and supports various analyses. We conducted a careful examination, analyzing body size, shape, and morphological features, focusing on skeletogenesis, teeth, and organs like the brain and gut at different stages. Our analysis yielded valuable insights into 3D morphological changes during Xenopus' development, documenting details previously unrecorded. These datasets hold the solid potential for further morphological and morphometric analyses, including segmentation of hard and soft tissues.
Our repository of micro-CT scans represents a significant resource that can enhance our understanding of Xenopus' development and the associated morphological changes in the future. The widespread utility of this amphibian species, coupled with the exceptional quality of our scans, which encompass a comprehensive series of developmental stages, opens up extensive opportunities for their broader research application. Moreover, these scans can be used in virtual reality, 3D printing, and educational contexts, further expanding their value and impact.
非洲爪蟾是一种多功能的脊椎动物模式生物，在多个生物学领域都有应用，尤其是在发育生物学中，用于研究变态过程中身体计划的重新组织。然而，在涵盖非洲爪蟾晚期发育阶段的综合数据集方面，存在显著的空缺。
本研究利用微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT），一种具有亚毫米级分辨率的非侵入性三维（3D）成像技术，探索非洲爪蟾的发育动态和形态变化。我们的方法包括生成发育中的非洲爪蟾标本的高分辨率图像和计算 3D 模型，涵盖从预变态蝌蚪到完全成熟的成年个体。这个数据集增强了我们对脊椎动物发育的理解，并支持各种分析。我们进行了仔细的检查，分析了身体大小、形状和形态特征，重点关注骨骼发生、牙齿以及大脑和肠道等器官在不同阶段的情况。我们的分析深入了解了非洲爪蟾发育过程中的 3D 形态变化，记录了以前未记录的细节。这些数据集具有进一步进行形态和形态计量分析的潜力，包括硬组织和软组织的分割。
我们的 micro-CT 扫描资料库是一个重要的资源，可以增强我们对非洲爪蟾发育和相关形态变化的理解。这种两栖动物的广泛应用，加上我们扫描的高质量，涵盖了一系列全面的发育阶段，为其更广泛的研究应用开辟了广阔的机会。此外，这些扫描可用于虚拟现实、3D 打印和教育领域，进一步扩大其价值和影响。
