Bright field images represent DIC micrographs. Arrows and arrowheads indicate apoptotic germ cells or protein localized around apoptotic germ cells. dyn-1(ky51) worms are shown at the nonpermissive temperature (25 ÂC) unless otherwise stated. Scale bar, 10 Îm. n >10 for each transgenic. Error bars represent s.e.m.
Compared to wild type (aâd), CFP::RAB-5 (e,f) and YFP::RAB-7 (g,h) halos are decreased in the gonad of dyn-1(ky51) mutant worms (f,h, arrowheads); quantitated data is presented in (q). Further, phagosomes appear larger in dyn-1(ky51) mutant worms (e, g, arrowhead and volume quantitated in (s). Nematodes deficient in vps-34 (iâl) or rme-8 (mâp) showed similar decreases in the number of RAB-5 or RAB-7 corpses (quantitated in r).
(t) Schematic of the genetic pathway for phagosome maturation containing apoptotic cells, based on the data presented above and in earlier figures.