α tubulin 67C and ncd are essential for transport of the bcd mRNA.

(A) surface confocal section of an anterior half of a kavar^null/Df(3L)55 embryo, stained with mab YL_1,2 revealing a short omnidirectional MT network (insert). (B) more sagittal confocal section of the same embryo as in (A) to reveal the polar body (pb), stained along with DAPI to show the chromosomes (insert). Note the short MT threads at the cortex. (C) a kavar^null/Df(3L)55 embryo, stained for the bcd mRNA (green) along with DAPI (blue) to reveal the nucleus (nuc). (D) stage 10 and (E) stage 14 αTub67C³/αTub67C³ oocytes stained for bcd mRNA (green) and DAPI (blue). Insert in (E) denotes staining in the micropyle (mp). (F) nc 4 ncd¹/ncd¹ embryo, stained for the bcd mRNA (green) along with DAPI (blue). (G–I) ncd^D/ncd^D stage 10 oocytes (G), ncd^D/ncd^D nc 6 embryo (H) and ncd^D/ncd^D nc 13 embryo (I), stained for bcd mRNA (green) and DAPI (blue). Insert in (G) denotes the position of the nucleus on the dorsal side. Insert in (I) denotes irregularities in the position of nuclei frequently seen in ncd^D/ncd^D embryos. (J–K) homozygous αTub67C³ ncd^D stage 10 oocyte (J) and nc 4 embryo (K) stained for bcd mRNA (green) along with DAPI (blue). (L) αTub67C³ ncd^D/ncd^D nc 6 embryo stained for bcd mRNA (green) along with DAPI (blue). (M–O) UAS-ncd overexpression using maternal GAL-4 driver V32, stained for bcd mRNA (green) and DAPI (blue), stage 10 oocyte (M), nc 6 embryo (N) and nc 12 embryo (O). Insert in (M) denotes the position of the nucleus on the dorsal side. (P–U) mid-sagittal section of a nc14 embryos stained for Ncd (P), αTub67C (Q), αTub84B+D (R), and merge of P-Q, along with DAPI (S). Note that Ncd, αTub67C and αTub84B+D overlap only in MTs surrounding the nuclei (white). (T) Ncd staining together with αTub67C. (U) αTub67C staining together with αTub84B+D. Note that Ncd overlaps with αTub67C (T), in contrast to αTub84B+D (U). fc follicle cells, nuc nuclei, mp micropyle, pb polar body.