Essential long-range action of Wingless/Wnt in adult intestinal compartmentalization
Fig 3
Wg tethering results in severe epithelial defects at the MHB.
(A-A’) Midgut and hindgut epithelia exhibit distinct nuclear size, nuclear density and gene expression patterns. Adjoining the MHB, the midgut and hindgut epithelial cells tightly cluster and line against each other, forming an epithelial transition zone. The levels of Fas3, a structural protein, are high in the hindgut but low in the midgut [36]. (B-F”) The epithelial transition zone is lost in NRT-Wg intestines. The anterior hindgut contains loosely-packed “ileum-like” cells while supernumerary cells are detected in the midgut. wild-type Wg: wg{KO, Wg-HA}%; tethered Wg: wg{KO, NRT-Wg-HA}%. Anterior, left. Arrow marks the MHB. Scale bars: (A-F”) 25 μm.