Fig. 9

Aberrant DFC migration and clustering as a result of Ttrap-Smad3-mediated downregulation of cdh1. (A-D) cas/sox32 as DFC marker, 80-90% epiboly. (A,C) Tight clustering of DFCs (black arrowheads) in control^MO and βgal^OE embryos. (B,D) In Ttrap^MO and Smad3b^OE embryos, DFCs are more spread out. Occasionally, DFCs are also ectopically located around and just underneath the blastoderm margin (black asterisks). (E-H) cdh1 is absent in DFCs and anterior axial hypoblast of Ttrap^MO and Smad3b^OE embryos, 70% epiboly. General cdh1 expression in the epiblast remains unaltered in all embryos; the embryos are deliberately overstained. (E,G) cdh1 in DFCs (black arrowheads) and anterior axial hypoblast (white arrowheads) visible in control^MO and βgal^OE embryos and missing in (F) Ttrap^MO and (H) Smad3b^OE embryos. In Smad3b^OE embryos, stronger staining in the prechordal plate (white asterisk) was also observed and may be a consequence of a thickening of this region because of hyperdorsalization. Dorsal views, anterior at top.