Fig. 4. Ectopic lens formation in smoothened mutant embryos does not
result from aberrant movement of lens precursors. (A-D) Bud stage embryos
fixed immediately after photoactivation, then hybridized with probes for
pitx3 (blue) and dlx3b (red). Photoactivated median anterior
cells (A,B; n=14) and lateral posterior cells (C,D; n=11) in
wild-type (A,C) and smoothened mutant (B,D) embryos labeled with
anti-fluorescein (red, black arrowheads). (E-H) Embryos at prim-5 stage, after
uncaging at bud stage as indicated in A-D. (E) Wild-type; skin and anterior
pituitary placode are labeled (n=10; white arrowhead). (F)
smoothened mutant; ectopic lens (white arrowhead) and skin (F;
n=7) are labeled (photoactivation as indicated in A,B). (G,H)
Wild-type (G; n=19) and smoothened mutant (H; n=7),
skin, lens, retina and olfactory placode labeled (photoactivation
approximately as indicated in C,D). (H) Ectopic median lens (white arrowhead,
circle) is not labeled in smoothened mutant embryos (n=7).
More cells were labeled in G,H than indicated in control embryos (C,D). (E-H)
Superimposed bright-field images and fluorescent confocal stacks. e, ectopic
lens; L, retina-associated lens; o, olfactory placode; P, pituitary; R,
retina; S, skin;. (A-D) Dorsal views of prospective head region, anterior
towards top; (E-H) side views, anterior towards the left, dorsal towards the
top. Scale bars: 100 µm in A-D; 50 µm in E-H.