Disheveled protein is highly enriched at the vegetal pole of eggs and early embryos.

<p><i>S</i>. <i>purpuratus</i> eggs and embryos were processed for immunofluorescence and analyzed using scanning confocal microscopy. (A-F) Developmental stages from an unfertilized egg to a 60-cell stage embryo. Dsh was immunolocalized using an anti-Dsh antibody (red), filamentous actin was visualized using fluorescein phalloidin (green), and nuclei were visualized using DAPI (blue). Top panels show Dsh staining and the corresponding bottom panels show an overlay of Dsh with phalloidin and DAPI. All images are oriented with the animal pole towards the top and vegetal pole towards the bottom. (A) An unfertilized egg showing the asymmetric enrichment of Dsh at one pole. (B) Zygote stage. After fertilization the Dsh pattern becomes more punctate. (C) 8-cell stage embryo. Punctate Dsh staining is seen in the four cells. (D) 16-cell stage embryo. Punctate Dsh staining is observed in the micromeres and the macromeres indicating that the Dsh accumulation at earlier stages is at the vegetal pole. (E) 32-cell stage embryo. Punctate Dsh staining is seen in the macromeres and the vegetal tier cells. (F) 60-cell stage embryo. Dsh puncta are seen predominantly in the micromeres and the veg2 tier.