Figure 1.

EFF-1 Localizes to Intracellular Puncta

(A–C) EFF-1 expression pattern in the process of cell fusion was revealed by immunostaining with anti-EFF-1 monoclonal antibody (green) and anti-DLG-1 antibody (apical junctions, magenta). EFF-1 vesicular localization (arrows) at developmental stages prior to (A and B) and after epithelial cell fusion (C) in wild-type C. elegans embryos is shown. Colocalization of EFF-1 with apical junction is shown (arrowhead; B). Fused hyp6 and hyp7 syncytia are outlined with a white dashed line in (C).

(D) Immunostaining of eff-1(ok1021) mutant at 1.8-fold stage shows no EFF-1 expression, revealing the antibody specificity, and lack of cell fusion. The scale bar represents 10 μm.

(E) Schematics of embryonic epithelial cell fusions during elongation from comma (left) to 1.8-fold stage (right). Cell borders (junctions) are drawn with black lines; EFF-1 expression pattern is visualized as green puncta. Cells forming hyp6 and hyp7 syncytia are colored with dark gray and light gray, respectively.

Orientation of embryos in all figures is anterior, left and dorsal, top. See also Figure S1.