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Developmental aspects of the direct‐developing frog A delophryne maranguapensis
Author(s) -
de Lima Ana V.P.,
Reis Alice H.,
Amado Nathália G.,
CassianoLima Daniel,
BorgesNojosa Diva M.,
Oriá Reinaldo B.,
Abreu José G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.22935
Subject(s) - biology , yolk , embryogenesis , anatomy , zoology , body plan , developmental biology , reproductive biology , embryo , neural tube , evolutionary biology , otic vesicle , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , genetics , gene , in situ hybridization , gene expression
Summary Direct development in amphibians is characterized by the loss of aquatic breeding. The anuran Adelophryne maranguapensis is one example of a species with direct development, and it is endemic to the state of Ceará, Brazil. Detailed morphological features of A. maranguapensis embryos and the stages of sequential development have not been described before. Here, we analyzed all available genetic sequence tags in A. maranguapensis ( tyr exon 1, pomc and rag1 ) and compared them with sequences from other species of Adelophryne frogs. We describe the A. maranguapensis reproductive tract and embryonic body development, with a focus on the limbs, tail, ciliated cells of the skin, and the egg tooth, which were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Histological analyses revealed ovaries containing oocytes surrounded by follicular cells, displaying large nuclei with nucleoli inside. Early in development, the body is unpigmented, and the neural tube forms dorsally to the yolk vesicle, typical of a direct‐developing frog embryo. The hindlimbs develop earlier than the forelimbs. Ciliated cells are abundant during the early stages of skin development and are less common during later stages. The egg tooth appears in the later stages and develops as a keratinized microridge structure. The developmental profile of A. maranguapensis presented here will contribute to our understanding of the direct‐development model and may help preserve this endangered native Brazilian frog. genesis 54:257–271, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.