At one cell stage, there is no signal detected. Expression is first detected at two and four cell stage, pattern is variable at this stage. In most (35/48) of four cell embryos transcript is detected in posterior P1 cell or its immediate daughters. By 8 cell stage, signal detected in all blastomeres. In 3/48 expression is seen in the somatic AB cell and its immediate daughters, whereas 10/48 embryos
ftt-2 messages were present in both lineages.
ftt-2 transcript levels remain high in older embryos and during early elongation stage of morphogenesis, the transcript becomes localized to the region of the developing gonad and gut. Undetectable in maturing germ cells or maturing oocytes.