Figure 2.vasa, a germ plasm component, is recruited to third cell cycle furrows; however vasa is not maintained in third cell cycle furrows after the fourth cell cycle. Wild-type embryos fixed and hybridized using probes against vasa RNA during the third (A) and fourth (B) cell cycles. RNP furrow recruitment and distal compaction occurs in the furrow corresponding to the first three cell cycles (A); however during the fourth cell cycle the four aggregates recruited to third cell cycle furrows are reduced (as shown in insert “3”) or undetectable (B). Inserts labeled “1,” “2,” “3” indicate higher magnification images of RNP aggregates recruited to the furrows for the first, second, and third cell cycle, respectively, and insert labeled “c” shows a representative cortical (non-furrow) region. Scale bars: 100 μM (A, B), 10 μM (insets).