Using Xenopus embryos to investigate integrin function.

Xenopus embryos are a useful and important system for cell biological studies of integrin adhesion and signaling. Explants prepared from gastrulating embryos undergo normal morphogenetic movements when cultured in simple salt solutions. These preparations are accessible to a variety of experimental perturbations and time-lapse imaging at high resolution, making it possible to elucidate mechanisms of integrin function in intact tissues and whole embryos. Methods used for the visualization of integrins, cadherins, extracellular matrix, and cytoskeletal linkages in both fixed and live tissues are described. We also discuss the use of a novel explant preparation suitable for following the normal deposition and assembly of fibronectin fibrils by ectoderm and mesoderm at gastrulation.