The "Moving Into Xenopus tropicalis" symposium at the University of Virginia in June 1999 made it clear that turning this frog into a useful genetic system will require a concerted effort. Fortunately, there was also much enthusiasm about working together to build a Xenopus genetics community. The recent meeting at NIH regarding non-mammalian model systems also supports developing both the X. tropicalis system and a community capable of responding to genome-scale opportunities.

In order to harness this enthusiasm and pool efforts, some of the critical tasks have been defined, and small committees have been drafted to discuss these problems and try to come up with plans to address them. In most cases, these committees should function to distribute and coordinate work among the general X. tropicalis community (rather than have the labs of committee members responsible for all the work on a specific topic).

If you are interested in helping out on a specific topic, please get in touch with the 'contact person' (name in italics) for the particular committee via the email address provided. Suggestions for additional critical tasks should be directed to the coordinating committee.

The intent is to divide tasks up so that labs can contribute with minimal labor, but to provide sufficient oversight so that results can be compared meaningfully, and also to facilitate prompt communication of results. If X. tropicalis continues to progress as a useful model system, this provisional consortium may evolve into a more formal structure.

Enrique Amaya	Darcy Kelley
Doug DeSimone	Jim Smith
Rob Grainger	Derek Stemple
Richard Harland	Chris Wylie
Ray Keller	Lyle Zimmerman

1. Husbandry committee: defines parameters for optimizing laboratory breeding and maintenance of X. tropicalis (especially with respect to minimizing generation time), coordinates husbandry experiments among participating labs, and disseminates advances.

Doug DeSimone	dwd3m@virginia.edu
Nick Hirsch, Darcy Kelley

2. Genomics: develops and coordinates genetic and physical mapping programs and the generation of large-insert genomic libraries

Derek Stemple	dstempl@nimr.mrc.ac.uk
Len Zon, Bruce Blumberg

3. cDNA libraries: tracks and evaluates extant X. tropicalis cDNA libraries, coordinates generation of additional cDNA libraries as necessary, evaluates and coordinates the production of arrayed libraries, EST resources, etc.

Ken Cho	kwcho@uci.edu
Malcolm Moos, Naoto Ueno, Derek Stemple, Curtis Altmann

4. Transgenesis: defines parameters for optimizing REMI transgenesis in X. tropicalis, discusses the prospect and coordinates the development of other methods of transgenesis, coordinates experiments among participating labs, and disseminates advances.

Barry Knox	knoxb@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu
Rob Grainger, Enrique Amaya, Nick Marsh-Armstrong, Leon Browder

5. Stock/ training centers: considers appropriate stock centers for mutant and transgenic strains, and training centers for transgenic techniques, and monitor funding opportunities.

Enrique Amaya	ea3@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Rob Grainger, Leon Browder, Marcel Mechali

6. Large-scale funding: monitors and coordinates genome-scale funding opportunities.

Rob Grainger	rmg9p@virginia.edu
Jim Smith, Len Zon, Enrique Amaya, Naoto Ueno

7. Pilot chemical mutagenesis: considers strategy and implementation for obtaining an initial set of X. tropicalis mutants.

Lyle Zimmerman	lz4n@virginia.edu
Peter Vize, Gerry Thomsen, Carla Green

8. Insertional mutagenesis: monitors strategies for mutagenesis via transgenesis.

Enrique Amaya	ea3@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Rob Grainger	rmg9p@virginia.edu
Odile Bronchain, Lyle Zimmerman, Leon Browder

9. Informatics/communication: coordinates listserv and X. tropicalis-dedicated websites; evaluates next-generation electronic organization (e.g. databases, interactive websites etc.)

Peter Vize	peter@pvize.zo.utexas.edu
Lyle Zimmerman, Roger Patient

10. Cell lines/cell biology: evaluates cell biological and cell line resources for X. tropicalis.

Doug DeSimone	dwd3m@virginia.edu
Sigrid Reinsch, Thomas Spieker, Todd Stukenberg

11. Coordinating committee: keeps track of who's doing what (and when they are doing it)

Enrique Amaya	ea3@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Rob Grainger	rmg9p@virginia.edu
Lyle Zimmerman	lz4n@virginia.edu