Dendrite overgrowth is age-dependent.

<p>(A-E) <i>mapk-15</i> or <i>sma-1</i> mutants at the indicated developmental stages, or from ~2-week old starved plates, were imaged. Arrowheads, dendrite endings. Scale bars, 10 μm. (F) Wild-type, <i>mapk-15</i>, or <i>sma-1</i> animals were synchronized at the L1 or L4 stages or as two-day adults (2Ad) and dendrite lengths and nose lengths were measured. (G) <i>mapk-15</i> mutants bearing a transgene encoding a heat-shock-inducible <i>mapk-15(+) (hsp</i>:<i>mapk-15)</i> were synchronized at the L4 stage, subjected to a brief heat shock (+ L4 h.s., 30 min, 34°C) or not (–L4 h.s.), recovered, and dendrite and nose lengths were measured in two-day adults. p-values, Mann-Whitney U-test. Colored bars are individual animals, black bars are population averages. n ≥ 50 in all cases.