Skip to main content
. 2011 May 23;6(5):e20180. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020180

Figure 3. rab11-null stalk cells fail to organize themselves into a functional stalk and are associated with fused and compound egg chambers.

Figure 3

(A–D) Confocal images of immunostained germaria and/or egg chambers 10–12 days ACI, with rab11-null cells marked by the absence of nGFP. (A, A′) Two different focal planes of an s1 (germarial region 3) egg chamber fused to a compound egg chamber containing 3 germline cysts (approximate germline cyst borders outlined with white dashes) immunostained for nGFP (green), LamC (blue), and Traffic jam (Tj) (red). The arrowheads point to putative rab11-null stalk (LamC-positive) cell clusters. As described in the text, such clusters contain ∼6 cells each and are located at or near the junctions of fused and compound egg chambers. The arrows point to candidate rab11-null polar cells (see Text), while the curved arrow points to a clone of rab11-null pre-follicle cells, which also stain positively for Tj. (B, B′) Two different focal planes of a compound egg chamber immunostained for GFP (green) and the oocyte marker, Orb (red). (C) Fused egg chamber immunostained for nGFP (green) and E-cad (red). Anterior at bottom. (D) Massive compound egg chamber immunostained for nGFP (green) and lamC (blue). The LamC-positive nuclei correspond to germ cells and ovariole sheath cells, which are distinguishable from stalk cells by their sizes and position. (E-E′″) Enlarged confocal image of a mosaic stalk cell cluster immunostained for nGFP (green), LamC (blue), and E-cad (red) 5–6 days ACI. The borders of the flanking egg chambers are indicated with the dashed yellow line. The rab11-null stalk cells (enclosed in the dashed white line) are excluded from the stalk proper. (F, G) Wildtype germaria immunostained for (F) nGFP (green) and Rab11 (red), or (G) Nuf (white), a Rab11 effector protein [18]. The arrow in (F) points to enriched expression of Rab11 in presumptive stalk and polar cells at the junction of germarial regions 2B and 3 (s1). The region 2b/3 (s1) junction is expanded in (G) as stalk cell formation is more advanced in this particular germarium.