Xenopus epidermal and endodermal epithelia as models for mucociliary epithelial evolution, disease, and metaplasia. Issue 1 (5th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Walentek, Peter
• Is Part Of: Genesis. Volume 59:Issue 1/2(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-01-05
• Subjects: airway disease -- ciliated metaplasia -- gastric -- goblet cell metaplasia -- transdifferentiation; Developmental genetics -- Periodicals; Genetics -- Periodicals; Developmental biology -- Periodicals; Embryology -- Periodicals; Genetic regulation -- Periodicals; 576.5
• DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23406
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1526-954X

Abstract

Summary: The Xenopus embryonic epidermis is a powerful model to study mucociliary biology, development, and disease. Particularly, the Xenopus system is being used to elucidate signaling pathways, transcription factor functions, and morphogenetic mechanisms regulating cell fate specification, differentiation and cell function. Thereby, Xenopus research has provided significant insights into potential underlying molecular mechanisms for ciliopathies and chronic airway diseases. Recent studies have also established the embryonic epidermis as a model for mucociliary epithelial remodeling, multiciliated cell trans‐differentiation, cilia loss, and mucus secretion. Additionally, the tadpole foregut epithelium is lined by a mucociliary epithelium, which shows remarkable features resembling mammalian airway epithelia, including its endodermal origin and a variable cell type composition along the proximal–distal axis. This review aims to summarize the advantages of the Xenopus epidermis for mucociliary epithelial biology and disease modeling. Furthermore, the potential of the foregut epithelium as novel mucociliary model system is being highlighted. Additional perspectives are presented on how to expand the range of diseases that can be modeled in the frog system, including proton pump inhibitor‐associated pneumonia as well as metaplasia in epithelial cells of the airway and the gastroesophageal region.