Figure 2. NLP-40 Undergoes SNT-2/Synaptotagmin-Dependent Release from the Intestine (A) The expression pattern of
nlp-40. Representative DIC and fluorescent images of an L3 stage worm expressing a transcriptional reporter of
nlp-40, in which GFP::NLS is driven by the
nlp-40 endogenous promoter fragment (3,511 bp upstream of ATG). White arrowheads indicate the nuclei of intestinal cells. (B) Quantification of the Exp frequency in young adults with the indicated genotypes. The intestinal rescue denotes transgenic
nlp-40(
tm4085) worms expressing
nlp-40 cDNA under the intestine-specific
ges-1 promoter. (C) Diagram showing peptide expressed the intestine can be secreted and taken up by coelomocytes (green ovals) through bulk endocytosis. (D) Representative image of NLP-40::YFP localization on the basolateral surface of the anterior intestine (some puncta are indicated by arrows). (E and F) Representative image of the posterior coelomocytes (outlined by a dashed line) in the wild-type (E) and
snt-2 mutants (F). Fluorescent patches within the cell reflects secreted NLP-40::YFP taken up by the coelomocyte. (G) Quantification of the average NLP-40::YFP fluorescence in coelomocytes of L4 worms of wild-type (n = 25), and
snt-2(
tm1711) mutants (n = 24). The mean and standard error are shown. Asterisks (***) indicate a significant difference of p < 0.0005 in a Student's t test. See also Figure S4.