Figure 9.

The GERp95 orthologue in C. elegans is important for oocyte development. Gonads of young hermaphrodite worms were injected with double-stranded RNA synthesized from empty pBluescript vector (control) or a C. elegans GERp95-like gene (T07D3) on chromosome II. A shows the progeny of injected worms that are now adult hermaphrodites of the same age. Two wild-type embryos are shown for comparison. Bar, ∼100 μm. Higher magnifications of the gonad regions of injected worms are shown in B and C. In control worms (B), germ-line stem cells in the mitotic proliferation zone of the distal gonad are indicated by arrowheads. Brick-shaped oocytes with large nuclei are indicated by arrows. Sperm (S) and eggs (E) are also visible in the proximal gonads of control worms but not in progeny of T07D3-injected animals (C). In the progeny of T07D3-injected worms, normal-looking germ-line stem cells are present in the distal gonad (arrowheads), but oocytes and sperm are absent from the proximal gonad. Bars in B and C, ∼25 μm.