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. 2014 Sep 25;10(9):e1004647. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004647

Figure 1. gld-4 and gld-2 have opposing functions in regulating the balance between proliferation and differentiation.

Figure 1

(A) Diagram of the distal end of an adult germ line (not to scale). Germ cells divide in the proliferative zone (PZ; red circles) and express REC-8 prior to meiotic prophase entry. Germ cells in meiotic prophase (green) express HIM-3 and pSUN-1; leptotene/zygotene (L/Z; half-filled circles) and pachytene (P; squares). In adulthood, a mitosis-to-meiosis boundary (arrowhead) is maintained at a defined distance from the distal tip (asterisk). GCDs, germ cell diameters. (B) Corresponding immunofluorescence micrograph of a distal gonad, illustrating a typical PZ nucleus (red circle) and a crescent-shaped meiotic prophase nucleus (green circle). The mitosis-to-meiosis boundary is apparent from REC-8 and HIM-3 expression. (C,D) Proliferative zone measurements of cytoPAP mutant gonads reveal germ cell (GC) number differences in young adults (L4+24 h). Circle and diamonds to the right side of the table in (C) correspond to the data shown in (D). (E,F) Age-dependent PZ changes are enhanced in gld-4 mutants. Dashed line, mitosis-to-meiosis boundary. (G) Quantification of PZ length changes of E and F over time. Error bars, standard deviations.