Fig. 6

The neurodevelopment of Heterodera glycines early pre-hatched J2s is not complete. Pre-hatched J2 (a and c) were mechanically removed from their egg shell and stained with phalloidin and/or DAPI and compared to hatched J2s b. In one early pre-hatched J2 a we observed F-actin binding phalloidin staining (left and green in right) in the nerve ring (arrows). The nerve ring was identified by position and a lack of cell nuclei (blue DAPI staining in overlay right). An increase in the number of ventral nerve cord (VNC) nuclei and linearity was seen between pre-hatched c and hatched b J2s. The VNC consists of a series of motor neurons that extends from the retro-vesicular ganglion to the pre-anal ganglion (marked with red lines in B). Pre-hatched J2s had an average of 62 VNC nuclei and a less linear organization (inset) compared to the 65 VNC nuclei arranged in a highly linear manner in hatched J2s. A-C scale, 15 μm. Inset scale, 5 μm