Opossum Development

Embryology - 28 May 2024        Expand to Translate
Google Translate - select your language from the list shown below (this will open a new external page)
العربية | català | 中文 | 中國傳統的 | français | Deutsche | עִברִית | हिंदी | bahasa Indonesia | italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | မြန်မာ | Pilipino | Polskie | português | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਦੇ | Română | русский | Español | Swahili | Svensk | ไทย | Türkçe | اردو | ייִדיש | Tiếng Việt    These external translations are automated and may not be accurate. (More? About Translations)

Introduction

The opossums () are a family of nocturnal semi-arboreal marsupials including the cuscuses, brushtail possums, and their close relatives.

Some Recent Findings

Developmental origins of precocial forelimbs in marsupial neonates "Marsupial mammals are born in an embryonic state, as compared with their eutherian counterparts, yet certain features are accelerated. The most conspicuous of these features are the precocial forelimbs, which the newborns use to climb unaided from the opening of the birth canal to the teat. The developmental mechanisms that produce this acceleration are unknown. Here we show that heterochronic and heterotopic changes early in limb development contribute to forelimb acceleration. Using Tbx5 and Tbx4 as fore- and hindlimb field markers, respectively, we have found that, compared with mouse, both limb fields arise notably early during opossum development." Expression of mRNAs encoding oestrogen receptor (ER) alpha and ERbeta, androgen receptor and progesterone receptor during gonadal and follicular development in the marsupial brushtail possum "Expression of ERalpha and/or ERbeta mRNA was observed from birth, initially in cells of the blastema, then in the medullary cords from Day 20. ERalpha was expressed in the oocytes and granulosa cells of secondary and antral follicles. Preovulatory follicles did not express ERalpha mRNA, although their oocytes were not examined for any gene. ERbeta mRNA was observed in oocytes at all follicular stages examined, but was not consistently observed in granulosa or theca cells. Expression of AR mRNA before Day 40 was very faint; thereafter, expression was observed in the medullary cords, peaking between Days 60 and 120. Oocytes, granulosa cells and theca of secondary and antral, but not preovulatory, follicles expressed AR mRNA. PR mRNA was expressed throughout the gonad by Day 20. Granulosa cells of some secondary and antral follicles and theca of antral follicles expressed PR mRNA."

More recent papers

This table allows an automated computer search of the external PubMed database using the listed "Search term" text link. This search now requires a manual link as the original PubMed extension has been disabled. The displayed list of references do not reflect any editorial selection of material based on content or relevance. References also appear on this list based upon the date of the actual page viewing. References listed on the rest of the content page and the associated discussion page (listed under the publication year sub-headings) do include some editorial selection based upon both relevance and availability. More? References | Discussion Page | Journal Searches | 2019 References | 2020 References Search term: Opossum Embryology <pubmed limit=5>Opossum Embryology</pubmed>

Taxon

Taxonomy ID:

Genbank common name: opossum

Rank: species

Genetic code: Translation table 1 (Standard)

Mitochondrial genetic code: Translation table 2 (Vertebrate Mitochondrial)

Lineage ( full )

Links: Taxonomy Browser Phalangeridae

Taxon Name	Common Name
Chacoan pygmy opossum
northern gracile opossum
Junin slender opossum
Ojasti's slender mouse opossum
spectacled slender opossum
Voss' slender opossum
Bishop's slender opossum
dusky slender opossum
Guahiba gracile opossum
hooded red-sided opossum
Gardner's short-tailed opossum
northern shew opossum
Sangay shrew opossum
Brazilian slender opossum
fuscogriseus subspecies
apicomplexans
Andean white-eared opossum
Derby's woolly opossum
Red three-striped opossum
Long-nosed short-tailed opossum
Southern red-sided opossum
Amazonian red-sided opossum
Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum
Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum
oposapicomplexans
White-bellied woolly mouse opossum
Tyleria mouse opossum
Guajira mouse opossum
Northern three-striped opossum
Mountain brushtail opossum
Ihering's three-striped opossum
grey-bellied shrew opossum
Panama slendeer opossum
Guianan white-eared opossum
Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum
Handley's slender mouse opossum
Osgood's short-tailed opossum
Kalinowski's opossum
Aceramarca gracile mouse opossum
Emilia's gracile mouse opossum
Cinderella fat-tailed opossum
Tate's wolly mouse opossum
grayish mouse opossum
Southeastern four-eyed oppossum
gray slender mouse opossum
Theresa's short-tailed opossum
Mexican mouse opossum
Anderson's mouse opossum
Pygmy short-tailed Opossum
Red-legged short-tailed Opossum
Common fat-tailed mouse opossum
long-tailed fat-tailed opossum
elegant fat-tailed opossum
Agile Gracile Mouse Opossum
pallid fat-tailed opossum
Emilia's short-tailed opossum
delicate slender mouse opossum
white-bellied slender mouse opossum
murine mouse opossum
little rufous mouse opossum
Patagonian opossum
Brazilian gracile mouse opossum
black-shouldered opossum
from P.
water opossum
Dorothy's slender mouse opossum
Robinson's mouse opossum
big-eared opossum
bare-tailed woolly opossum
Incan shrew opossum
Philander opossum
sepia short-tailed opossum
brown four-eyed opossum
Andean slender mouse opossum
Short-furred woolly mouse opossum
long-furred woolly mouse opossum
red mouse opossum
white-eared opossum
bushy-tailed opossum
western woolly opossum
thick-tailed opossum
silky shrew opossum
Chilean shrew opossum
gray short-tailed opossum
gray four-eyed opossum
southern opossum
North American opossum

System Development

The marsupial neonate at birth has a variation between the degree of development of different systems.

• well-developed - digestive, respiratory and circulatory system.
• not well-developed - retains fetal excretory system with a fully functional mesonephric kidney and undifferentiated gonads and genitalia.

Oocyte

Ovarian Follicle Development

Marsupial eggs are enclosed by a series of layers:

• zona pellucida, three zona proteins (ZPA, ZPB, ZPC)
  • • an additional extracellular matrix coat that lines the zona pellucida also occurs in some species.
• mucoid coat
• outer shell coat.

Links: Oocyte Development

Spermatozoa

Links: Spermatozoa Development

References

Reviews

<pubmed></pubmed> <pubmed></pubmed> <pubmed></pubmed>

Articles

<pubmed></pubmed> <pubmed></pubmed> <pubmed></pubmed>

Search PubMed

Search PubMed: Dromiciops gliroides | Opossum development | marsupial development

External Links

External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the internet may mean that some of these listed links may no longer function. If the link no longer works search the web with the link text or name. Links to any external commercial sites are provided for information purposes only and should never be considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is provided as an educational resource with no clinical information or commercial affiliation.

Glossary Links

Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Symbols | Term Link

---

Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, May 28) Embryology Opossum Development. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Opossum_Development

What Links Here?

© Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G