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Fig. 1 | BMC Developmental Biology

Fig. 1

From: Development of the indirect flight muscles of Aedes aegypti, a main arbovirus vector

Fig. 1

IFM precursors in A. aegypti larvae, DVM. ac Coronal sections of late L3 thorax hematoxylin and eosin stained showing three myoblast nests transversely cut. a, b Those three myoblast clumps per hemithorax were labeled as 1, 2 and 3, which correspond to future formation of DVM I, DVM II and DVM III, respectively. Adepithelial cells (ae) next to the basal side of the imaginal wing disc epithelium (ed), are observed. c, d Myoblast morphology during L3 instar. Inset (d) showing diversity of morphology among such as “teardrop”, spindle shapes and dividing cells (arrows). e, f In early fourth-instar larvae developing DVM, initiate de novo formation by fusion of FCM to FC establishing multinucleated areas (yellow asterisk in e) to form primordial myotubes surrounded by FCM. Fascicles 1, 2 and 3 show four, five and four (or five) fusion sites, respectively, showing large nuclei in the center of each primordial myotubes. f The myotubes continue their development to form multinucleate myotubes, where fascicles 2 and 3 have 5 and 4 myotubes, respectively, with abundant myoblasts among them. g, h During late fourth-instar larvae the myotube formation is almost complete, where most frequently, fascicles 1, 2, 3 are composed by 4, 5, 4 myotubes, respectively. Syncytial myotubes can be observed with homogeneous nuclei distribution (g) or aligned in rows (h). At this stage, scarce FCM were observed. Red arrows point toward cephalic side of the larva. ae adepithelial cells, ed wing epithelial disc, fcm fusion competent myoblast, fc founder cells, fb fat body, t tergal depressor trochanter. Scale bar: 50 µm

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