Skin Pigmentary Variants in <i>Rana Nigromaculata</i>

Abstract

Because there is mounting evidence to suggest that oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of albinism, albino amphibians are useful tools for studies on imbalances in the oxidant-antioxidant system. In the course of maintaining albino mutant frog strains it was found that crosses between albino males and heterozygous females of Rana nigromaculata sometimes produce offspring displaying pigmentary mosaicism. After hatching hypopigmented portions appear on the left or right side of the body, and this is accompanied by such abnormalities as poor viability, asymmetrical curvature of the body toward the hypopigmented side, and limb deformity. Histological examination of mosaics showed the cells of various tissues (except kidney) to be smaller on the hypopigmented side and larger on the pigmented side compared to corresponding cells in wild type offspring. Cytogenetic analysis of cultured skin cells revealed that wild type and albino individuals were diploidal with 26 chromosomes, the same as normal R. nigromaculata. In mosaics on the other hand, cells of hypopigmented portions were almost exclusively haploidal with 13 chromosomes, while pigmented portions were a mixture of roughly 75% triploidal, 39 chromosome cells and roughly 25% haploidal, 13 chromosome cells.