Fig. 6. Time-lapse analysis of morphogenesis in ptp-3 mutants and vab-1 ptp-3 double mutants. Time series from five different embryos are shown: the first row is wild type; the second and third rows depict two representative ptp-3(op147) embryos; the fourth row shows a vab-1(dx31) ptp-3(op147) embryo (vab-1(0) double mutant), and the fifth row shows a typical vab-1(e2) ptp-3(op147) embryo (vab-1(k) double mutant). All panels are ventral views, with anterior to the left. First column: beginning of closure of the ventral gastrulation cleft (approx. 230-250 minutes after first cleavage); note the enlarged gastrulation cleft (arrowheads) in all mutant genotypes. Second column: later closure of gastrulation cleft. Third column: early epidermal enclosure. Fourth column: mid-epidermal enclosure. Times for each series are relative to the frame in the first column. Of the two ptp-3 embryos shown, the upper series shows a severely affected embryo, with enlarged gastrulation cleft and early failure in epidermal enclosure; this animal arrested at the enclosure stage, corresponding to the Class I phenotype of vab-1 mutants (George et al., 1998). The lower ptp-3 series shows an embryo with slightly enlarged gastrulation cleft; this embryo underwent normal epidermal enclosure and hatched with normal morphology, corresponding to the Class V phenotype of vab-1 or vab-2 embryos. Both vab-1 ptp-3 embryos shown displayed defects in gastrulation cleft closure and arrested at epidermal enclosure.
