Cytological and Morphological Analyses Reveal Distinct Features of Intestinal Development during Xenopus tropicalis Metamorphosis
Figure 2
Morphological changes in the Xenopus tropicalis intestine during natural metamorphosis.
The intestine of Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles at stage 54 to 66 was isolated and stained with MGPY and photographed with a light microscope. A–C and G–I: a cross-section of the intestine at the indicated stage. D–F and J–L: the enlarged photo of the boxed area in A–C and G–I, respectively. Note that during metamorphosis, the MGPY staining became weaker in larval epithelium as the cells undergo degeneration. At the climax of metamorphosis, the newly formed, proliferating adult epithelial islets were strongly stained by MGPY (arrows). The connective tissue (CT) and muscles (Mu) increased dramatically during metamorphosis. Ep: epithelium; Lu: lumen; Ty: typhlosole; Scale bars: 50 µm.