Abstract
In all animals, including humans, the germ cells which make sperm and egg cells require a set of genes that make proteins called Piwi proteins and small RNA molecules called piRNAs (Piwiinteracting RNAs). The function of Piwi proteins and piRNAs is not well understood, however current data suggest that PI WI proteins and piRNAs are responsible for silencing, or suppressing, junk genes calleq transposons that would otherwise cause damage to the genome of germ cells. The presence of the PIWI analog in Xenopus, Xiwi, was quantified at progressing stages of Xenopus oocytes. Additionally, the expressions of Tyrosinase, Pax-6, Rem2, and Gapdh were qualified and quantified in the Xenopus tropicalis genome. Xiwi was present in late stages of X tropicalis embryos, as well as in Stage V and Stage VI X laevis oocytes. Reverse transcription PCR was optimized using primers designed to target Tyrosinase, Pax-6, Rem2, and Gapdh, ultimately to determine the levels of their expression in developing X troplcalis tadpoles. Future experiments will further optimize the RT-PCR reactions b:f varying conditions, and will assess the presence of Xiwi in early stage embryos more extensively.