DE-cadherin is required for germ cell–germ cell adhesion. (A, C, and E) Wild-type germ cells (brown) form a tight cluster inside the posterior midgut primordium (dotted lines) during stage 8–9 (A and C). Germ cells disperse just before the onset of migration at stage 10 (E). (B, D, and F) In maternal shg^A9-49 mutants, germ cells precociously disperse within the midgut, yet they do not initiate premature transmigration (B and D). shg^A9-49 mutant germ cells have a slight delay in crossing the midgut, and 38% of embryos displayed partial or no transmigration of germ cells at stage 10 (n = 39; arrow in F). (G and H) High-magnification confocal images of germ cells in wild-type (G) and shg^A9-49 mutants (H) at stage 9. Note the lack of clear polarization and radial organization in shg^A9-49 (m⁻, z⁺) mutant germ cells (H). Germ cells were labeled with anti-Vasa antibody (green), and nuclei were labeled with DAPI (blue). Embryos in A, B, E, and F are oriented anterior to the left, lateral view. Embryos in C and D are oriented anterior to the left, dorsal view. Bars, (F) 50 μm; (H) 20 μm.