Fig. 5. The
che-14 gene is expressed in epithelial cells of the ectoderm. Nomarski and corresponding fluorescence images in the same focal plane of wild-type animals expressing CHE-14-GFP. (a,b,e,f) Apical focal plane and (c,d,g,h) deeper focal plane at the level of the nuclei in (a-d) a 1.5-fold-stage embryo and (e-h) an L2 larva, focusing on the hypodermis. The fusion protein was absent from the basolateral membrane, abundant at the apical membrane and slightly punctate in the cytoplasm. It was particularly abundant in seam cells (white arrowheads) but also visible in other hypodermal cells (white arrows). (i,j) Excretory canal in an L1 larva. Views of the (k,l) excretory pore, (m,n) vulva and (o,p) rectum in an adult, and (q,r) head support cell in an L2 larva. In each case, the fusion protein was mainly detected on the apical side of cells, either facing the lumen of the excretory pore, vulva and rectum (arrowheads), or at the position where support cells form a channel (arrowhead). The inset in (r) shows an enlargement of the region boxed with a dashed line, showing the cell body (arrow) and cytoplasmic extension of a cell that was tentatively identified as the IlshVR. Not all sheath and socket cells expressed the fusion protein. This was due, at least in part, to mosaicism [44]. Anterior is to the left and dorsal is uppermost. The scale bar represents 10μm.