Fig. 3. foi mutants show defects in tracheal branch fusion. (A) Schematic
of the developing tracheal system highlighting lateral trunk (LT) fusion
during stages 14 and 15. Drawing courtesy of Mark Krasnow and is modified from
Manning and Krasnow (Manning and Krasnow,
1993). GB, ganglionic branch. (B-D) Confocal images of stage 16
embryos (breathless Gal4 x UAS-mCD8-GFP) immunostained to label the
tracheal cells (anti-GFP, red) and the tracheal lumen (Mab 2A12, green). (B)
Wild-type embryo. (C,D) foi20.71 mutant embryos. Short
arrows indicate segments where tracheal branch fusion has occurred and long
arrows indicate segments where fusion has failed to occur. Note that the
ganglionic branches still extend ventrally (down) from segments with failed
fusion. Inset in D highlights protrusions between fusion tip cells in a
segment where fusion failed to occur. (E) Confocal image of a stage 15
foi20.71 mutant embryo containing the
escargotG66B enhancer trap, immunostained to reveal
enhancer trap expression (anti-ß-gal, red) and the tracheal lumen (Mab
2A12, green). Asterisks indicate fusion tip cells expressing the esg
enhancer trap. Note that the fusion tip cells from the segment that has failed
to fuse still express the enhancer trap. Short arrows indicate segments where
tracheal branch fusion has occurred and long arrows indicate segments where
fusion has failed to occur.