Figure 1. Uncoupling of coordinated execution of J/A transition events in let-7 and lin-41 mutant animals.

(A) Schematic representation of juvenile-to-adult (J/A) transition events in the C. elegans epidermis: final division of seam cells (square-shaped cells with green nuclei) at the L3-to-L4 molt; seam cell fusion into a syncytium during mid-L4 stage; synthesis of an adult cuticle containing lateral alae (three horizontal bars) at the L4-to-adult molt; and a subsequent exit from the molting cycle. (B) Micrographs of late L4-stage animals of indicated genotypes expressing scm::gfp (green, marking seam cells) and ajm-1::mCherry (red, marking hypodermal cell junctions). Arrows indicate cell boundaries between unfused cells. Representative of n > 20. Scale bar: 50 μm.