Obtaining Xenopus tropicalis Eggs.

is a powerful model system for cell and developmental biology in part because frogs produce thousands of eggs and embryos year-round. For cell biological studies, egg extracts can mimic many processes in a cell-free system. For developmental biology, embryos are a premier system, combining cut-and-paste embryology with modern gene manipulation tools. are particularly suited to genetic studies because of their diploid genome, as compared to the tetraploid genome of When collecting eggs, there are differences in timing of steps, amounts of hormone administered, and handling of females between these species. In this protocol, females are induced with a hormone that stimulates ovulation, and then eggs are collected. To administer the ovulation hormone and express eggs, it is necessary to be comfortable with handling frogs. Proficient handling of requires practice, as they are relatively small, active, and slippery.