Fig. 2

Dg associates with three laminin subunits in the muscles. a Schematic drawing of the LamininA heterotrimer containing α3.5 (encoded by LamininA, LanA gene), β (encoded by LamininB1, LanB1), and γ (encoded by LamininB2, LanB2) chains. b Co-IP verifies Dg and LanB2 interaction in the muscles. c–e Dg and laminin protein co-localization in the larval body wall (c), adult oviduct (d), and adult rectal ampulla and hindgut (e) muscles. c–e (Left panels) schematics of the larval body wall muscles, adult ovarian muscles, and adult digestive system muscles (drawings adapted from [18]). The striated larval body wall muscles are the functional equivalents of vertebrate skeletal muscles. Although striated, the visceral muscles surrounding the gut and gonads are functionally analogous to vertebrate smooth muscles. c (Right panel) confocal images of the larval body wall muscles (VL1-4) presented as maximum intensity projections from multiple z-sections. Yellow arrows show Dg and laminin subunit co-localization at the sarcolemma and red arrows point to the Dg- and Lan-enriched NMJs. d (Right panel) images of single z-sections of the oviduct muscles. Yellow arrows show Dg and laminin co-localization at the muscle cell membrane. e (Right panel) images of single z-sections of the rectal ampulla muscles and cross-sections of hindgut muscle cells (for orientation, see the scheme). Yellow arrows show Dg and Lan co-localization at the muscle cell membrane, and blue arrows point to the muscle attachment sites. Dg—red; LanA, LanB1, and LanB2—green; DAPI—blue. Expression patterns for Dg, laminins, and DAPI are also shown in separate channels