Patterned femtosecond-laser ablation of Xenopus laevis melanocytes for studies of cell migration, wound repair, and developmental processes

The paper describes using a femtosecond laser to precisely remove melanocytes (pigment cells) in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. This technique allows researchers to study cell movement, wound healing, and development. The laser can mark individual cells, create patterns to track cell migration, and clear areas of cells to mimic wound healing. It can also damage specific tissues to study the effects on development, like tail regeneration. Because melanocytes are similar to cancer cells, this technique can be useful to study cancer-like behavior in a living organism, offering insights into regenerative medicine and cancer biology.

• 1
  Femtosecond lasers can be used to precisely ablate melanocytes in Xenopus laevis tadpoles, enabling controlled studies of cell migration and regeneration.
• 2
  Ablation thresholds vary depending on the tadpole's age and the melanocyte's location (head or tail), providing a reference for different laser marking and ablation modalities.
• 3
  Targeted ablation of melanocytes near the spinal cord disrupts normal tail regeneration, demonstrating the technique's potential for loss-of-function studies in developmental biology.