EOF1 regulates eggshell ultrastructure in <i>A</i>. <i>aegypti</i> mosquitoes.

Representative light microscope images of A. aegypti eggs are shown for RNAi-Fluc (A and C) and RNAi-EOF1 (B and D). Representative scanning electron micrograph images of eggs from RNAi-Fluc (E and G) and RNAi-EOF1 (F and H) were taken utilizing an FEI Inspect-S electron scanning microscope at the Keck Imaging Center at the University of Arizona. The magnification is 2,000× (E and F; scale bars = 10 μm) and 8,000× (G and H; scale bars = 5 μm). Mosquitoes were injected with dsRNA against Fluc and EOF1 prior to feeding as shown in Fig 1A. The primary follicles were dissected in 1× PBS at 96 h PBM, immediately fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde at 4°C, postfixed at room temperature for 1 h with 1% osmium tetroxide, dried with HMDS, and metalized with gold. CT, central tubercle; dsRNA, double-stranded RNA; EN, exochorionic network; EOF1, eggshell organizing factor 1; Fluc, firefly luciferase; HMDS, hexamethyldisilazane; OCA, outer chorionic area; PBM, post-blood meal; PT, peripheral tubercle; RNAi, RNA interference.