Working with Xenopus oocytes may appear straightforward compared to other cells commonly used in the lab. With their more than 1 mm diameter, stage V and VI Xenopus laevis oocytes are visible even without a microscope and their two hemispheres can be clearly differentiated from each other.

As a model cell, Xenopus oocytes are especially useful for heterologous expression and analysis of a plethora of receptors, ion channels and much more. Oocytes ordered from Ecocyte Bioscience come ready-to-use for most experiments, as they are enzymatically defolliculated with collagenase. Without follicular layer some care has to be exercised when handling the oocytes.

For the Xenopus laevis oocytes, the same basic principles apply as for other cell types. They require a medium resembling a stable and physiologically reasonable environment during transport and incubation. Therefore, this medium should support the cell membrane and be osmotically close to the inside of the cell. In accordance with their two hemispheres, the cytoplasm of the oocyte is more diverse compared to uniform cells. The darker animal pole contains organelles and the nucleus, while the lighter vegetal pole is rich in yolk. Media used with Xenopus oocytes should be specifically adapted to them.

During transport and incubation, Modified Barth’s Solution (MBS) is often used in conjunction with antibiotics to sustain the oocytes and keeps them healthy and useable for several days. For electrophysiological recordings, solutions such as Normal Frog Ringer (NFR) or ND96 solution are recommended, which are isotonic solutions relative to physiological levels. Our ready-to-use and 10x concentrate MBS, NFR and ND96 media are available as 500 ml bottles via our shop or in addition to oocyte orders. Our calcium-free MBS (CMBS) can be used for handling of oocytes under exclusion of calcium ions, available also as ready-to-use or 10x concentrate solutions. Please inquire about what solution may be useful for your experiment. For vitelline removal, the Vitelline Removing Solution (VRS) was added to our standard catalogue as ready-to-use solution. Customized media can also be ordered, and are prepared freshly but may require a mimimum order quantity. These media can include changes of the composition such as removal of Magnesium, or can be completely customer-specific solutions. Great success was achieved for adapting recipes, resulting in reduced workload and variability for our customers!

All solutions are prepared by our professional lab technicians and the media are autoclaved for a long shelf life. Simply add a remark to your next mail to order@ecocyte.net (EU), sales@ecocyte-us.com (US) or in the comments in our ordering system about how many and which media you want to order.