Fig. 3. VVL expression and loss-of-function effects in embryonic es organs. Anterior is towards the left and dorsal is upwards in all panels. (A-C) A wild-type embryo, stained with anti-VVL (A) and anti-CT (B). (C) A merge of A and B. Colocalization of CT and VVL is evident in many es cells (yellow). (D) The sensory organs of a single abdominal segment (A1-A7) in the embryonic PNS [adapted, with permission, from Bodmer et al. (Bodmer et al., 1989)]. es, ch and multiple dendritic neurons are depicted in red, green and gray, respectively. The nomenclature is according to Ghysen et al. and Bodmer et al. (Ghysen et al., 1986; Bodmer et al., 1989). (E,F) A normal embryo (E) and a vvl^GA3 homozygous embryo (F) stained with anti-ELAV to demonstrate the nuclei of all neurons. In the lateral cluster of a normal embryo there are 13 neuronal nuclei (arrow and inset in E). In a lateral cluster from a vvl mutant embryo a reduced number of neurons, in this case only six, is evident (arrow and inset in F). The five nuclei of lch5 neurons can be detected near the dorsal cluster (arrowhead). (G,H) es organs of abdominal dorsal PNS clusters, demonstrated by anti-CT staining. (G) Normal embryo and (H) ut^H599 homozygous embryo. Braces mark the position of desC and desD cells; square brackets mark the position of des2 and desB cells. A marked decrease in the number of cells in desC and desD is evident in the mutant embryo, whereas des2 and desB seem largely unaffected. (I-K) TUNEL analysis in normal (I) and vvl mutant embryos (J,K). Neuronal nuclei are demonstrated by ELAV staining (green) and apoptotic nuclei are labeled in red. The embryo in K carries also the A101 enhancer trap and is stained with anti-ß-GAL (blue). Asterisks mark the location of lch5. D and L, dorsal and lateral PNS clusters, respectively. (I) In the lateral cluster of a normal embryo only one or two apoptotic nuclei are typically observed. Many more apoptotic nuclei are evident in this cluster in ut^H599 (J) and vvl^GA3 (K) homozygous embryos. (K) Colocalization of the red (TUNEL) and blue (PNS) signals indicates that at least some of the apoptotic nuclei belong to PNS cells (arrowheads).

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