Excepting body wall muscles and gonadal leaders, described below, no other cells were observed to express SP-GFP-hemicentin. Body wall muscles: Beginning in late embryogenesis (approx. 500 minutes), and continuing through adulthood, hemicentin is synthesized by lateral body wall muscle cells along the entire length of the animal, excepting cells six and eight near the nerve ring. Medial body wall muscle cells express little if any hemicentin. Gonadal leaders (hermaphrodite): Beginning soon after their genesis in late L1 stage, hermaphrodite distal-tip cells express hemicentin continuously throughout development. The anchor cell, or proximal leader, expresses hemicentin beginning in early L3 stage soon after cell commitment. SP-GFP-hemicentin diffuses throughout the utse syncytium at this time, but it is not known whether
him-4 is transcribed in nuclei other than the anchor. In the adult, all expression within the utse syncytium ceases. Gonadal leaders (male): In the male, distal-tip cells never express hemicentin. The linker cell, or proximal leader, expresses hemicentin beginning at early L2 stage.