NeuroFIG 39: Posterior deirid sensilla.

A. DIC micrograph of an adult hermaphrodite with aclr-1 mutation, lateral view. Posterior deirids lie halfway between the vulva and tail on both sides of the nematode body. Each sensillum is composed of the PDE cilium, one socket cell, and one sheath cell and is located dorsally to the alae within the lateral hypodermal ridge. The cells of each posterior deirid sensillum derive from the same blast cell, V5p, and lie close to one another (see Epithelial system - Hypodermis ). A short process from the sheath and another process from the socket cell surround the cilium of the mechanosensory PDE neuron, which terminates within the cuticle as a TAM-filled ending (see IntroFIG 4B). Similar to the ADE cilium, the PDE cilium is anchored to the cuticle through a nubbin located at its base (not shown). Bar, 10 μm. (Image reprinted, with permission, from Hedgecock et al. 1990.)
B. Epifluorescent image from a transgenic animal expressing the reporter gene dat-1::GFP, left lateral view. The bipolar PDE neuron extends a dorsal cilium and also sends a commissural process (arrowhead) to the VNC, which bifurcates within the VNC and grows in anterior and posterior directions. (Strain source: S. Clark.)

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