Vascular Regeneration in a Basal Chordate Is Due to the Presence of Immobile, Bi-Functional Cells
Figure 3
Vascular cell labeling is achieved though injection of mCherry protein but not GFP.
(A) Ventral view of extracorporeal vasculature of Botryllus schlosseri immediately following injection of 1 µl of 0.1 µg/ml recombinant GFP protein into the circulation and (A′) 24 hours post injection. (B) Ventral view of extracorporeal vasculature of Botryllus schlosseri immediately following injection of 1 µl of 0.1 µg/ml recombinant mCherry protein into the circulation and (B′) 24 hours post injection. (C) Ventral view of mCherry labeled vasculature within a single system of Botryllus schlosseri and (C′) vascular labeling during a takeover event with regressing zooids (rz) and the appearance of mCherry labeling in ventral island phagocytes (arrows). (D) Ventral view of Botryllus schlosseri colony co-injected with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated BSA and Alexa Fluor 594 conjugated Bio-Particles showing labeled vessels and phagocytic island populations (arrows). (D′) Same co-injected Botryllus schlosseri colony following apoptotic clearance of regressing zooids showing double labeling of phagocytic island populations (arrows). Scale bars: A–B = 200 µm, C = 800 µm, C′ = 1 mm, D = 800 µm.