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Review
. 2023 Jan 30;11(1):6.
doi: 10.3390/jdb11010006.

The Complex Bridge between Aquatic and Terrestrial Life: Skin Changes during Development of Amphibians

Esra Akat Çömden  1 , Melodi Yenmiş  1 , Berna Çakır  1
Affiliations
Review

The Complex Bridge between Aquatic and Terrestrial Life: Skin Changes during Development of Amphibians

Esra Akat Çömden et al. J Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Amphibian skin is a particularly complex organ that is primarily responsible for respiration, osmoregulation, thermoregulation, defense, water absorption, and communication. The skin, as well as many other organs in the amphibian body, has undergone the most extensive rearrangement in the adaptation from water to land. Structural and physiological features of skin in amphibians are presented within this review. We aim to procure extensive and updated information on the evolutionary history of amphibians and their transition from water to land-that is, the changes seen in their skin from the larval stages to adulthood from the points of morphology, physiology, and immunology.

Keywords: amphibian; chromophore; glands; metamorphosis; skin; tadpole.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Evolutionary tree of amphibians (adapted from Refs. [3,4,5,6]. 2009, Cannatella, D.C. et al.; 2009, Bossuyt, F. et al.; 2009, Vieties, D.R. et al.; 2009, Gower, D.J. and Wilkinson, M.).
Figure 2
Figure 2
A general illustration of amphibian skin. (A). larvae, (B). Adult ((B) is adapted with permission from Ref. [23]. 2022, Akat et al.).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Picro-ponceau staining method on Hyla savignyi dorsal skin. (E) Epidermis; (G) granular glands; (SS) stratum spongiosum; (SC) stratum compactum; hypodermis (arrowhead). Rows of chromophores are visible just below the basement membrane. White arrow indicates xanthophore while black arrow indicates iridophores, which are upon melanophores.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A) The dorsal skin of Salamandra infraimmaculata, granular gland (G), melanophore (black arrow). The periphery of dermal gland was surrounded with a monolayer of myoepithelial cells (arrowhead), Gill’s H&E staining. (B) Mucous gland (M), granular gland (G), parotoid gland (PG), H&E staining. (C) In the dorsal skin of S. infraimmaculata, each gland discharges secretion by epidermal duct (*), mucous gland (M), blood vessel (white arrow) PAS staining. (D) The ventral skin of S. infraimmaculata, epidermis (E), dermis (De), mucous gland (M), melanophore (black arrow) AB staining.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Immunoreactivity of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the dermis of Salamandra infraimmaculata (A) and Hyla savignyi (B), mainly in the upper region of the dermis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Cannatella D.C., Hillis D.M. Amphibian relationships: Phylogenetic analysis of morphology and molecules. Herpetol. Monogr. 1993;7:1–7. doi: 10.2307/1466947. - DOI
    1. Cannatella D.C., Vieites D.R., Zhang P., Wake M.H., Wake D.B. Amphibians (Lissamphibia) In: Hedges S.B., Kumar S., editors. The Timetree of Life. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK: 2009. pp. 354–356.
    1. Bossuyt F., Roelants K. Frogs and Toads (Anura) In: Hedges S.B., Kumar S., editors. The Timetree of Life. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK: 2009. pp. 357–364.
    1. Vieties D.R., Zhang P., Wake D.B. Salamanders (Caudata) In: Hedges S.B., Kumar S., editors. The Timetree of Life. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK: 2009. pp. 365–368.

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