Inhibiting chitin synthesis disrupts the mechanical integrity of the eggshell. Time-lapse video of a chs-1(RNAi) embryo expressing a GFP-labeled plasma membrane probe. The embryo ruptures through the shell, which is weakened in the absence of a functional chitin layer. Single-plane wide-field images were acquired every 20 s on an upright microscope (Eclipse E800). Playback rate is 200× real time.
