Fig. 1. Mutations in wit eliminate systemic expression of FMRFa. (A) Wild-type staining of global FMRFamide expression in crawling third instar larval brain and ventral ganglia as revealed by an anti-FMRFamide antibody. A DIC image is overlaid onto the fluorescent image produced by an anti-rabbit Alexa 568-coupled secondary antibody. Two of the three dorsal neurohemal organs (NHO) are identified by white arrows. Three of the six bilaterally symmetric Tv neurons that innervate the NHO are marked with yellow arrows, while the two subesophageal neurons (SE2) are highlighted by light blue arrows. (B) wit mutant showing loss of FMRFamide staining in the NHO and Tv neurons. Note that expression in the SE2 neurons is unaffected. In C-F, expression of a FMRFa/lacZ transgene (Benveniste and Taghert, 1999) is illustrated in wild-type (C,E) or wit mutant animals (D,F). (G,H) lacZ labeling of the NHO of wit mutants (H: w; P{UAS>lacZ, w⁺}/P{ap>Gal4, w⁺}; wit^A12, st/wit^B11, st) or control animals (G: w; P{UAS>lacZ, w⁺}/P{ap>Gal4, w⁺}; wit, st/TM6B) showing that the Tv neurons properly innervate the NHO. Particular cells and structures are marked as above. Scale bars: in A 100 µm for A-D; in E 100 µm for E,F; in G, 20 µm for G,H.

Return to article