Figure 2.

dut-1(RNAi) induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in wild-type animals. (A) The presence of fewer but enlarged 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-stained nuclei in the mitotic region of dissected gonads shows induction of cell-cycle arrest in dut-1(RNAi)-fed N2 animals. Germ lines extruded from untreated (−) and γ-irradiated (75 Gy γ-IR) animals are shown for comparison. The number of nuclei was counted in a volume of 54,000 μm³ 16 h after the exposure of L4 larvae to the indicated treatments in 25 germ lines. Scale bars, 5 μm. (B) Induction of apoptosis was scored by counting apoptotic corpses in the pachytene region of the germ line under differential interference contrast before (−) and after (+) ionizing radiation (IR), and after dut-1(RNAi). Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean for at least 20 adult worms from three independent experiments. RNAi, RNA interference; Wt, wild type.