Fermitins, the Orthologs of Mammalian Kindlins, Regulate the Development of a Functional Cardiac Syncytium in Drosophila melanogaster
Figure 5
Cardiomyocyte Fit2 compensates for the loss of Fit1 to establish the cardiac syncytium.
(A) Schematic showing the Fit1 locus with the adjacent genes (CG14995 and Ack) and the site of the P-element insertion used to create the 1.7 kb deletion mutant (Fit1Δ161). (B) PCR of genomic DNA from wild-type (w1118) and Fit1Δ161 mutant flies. (C) Micrographs of adult hearts stained with phalloidin. The arrow highlights an abnormal cardiomyocyte phenotype. (D) Mean (±SEM) distance between neighbouring cardiomyocytes. n = 12–16 measurements from four to seven independent flies for each genotype. ***P<0.001 from all other genotypes. Legend applies to C & D.