Figure 1.

Worms mutated for the formin genes fhod‐1 or exc‐6 lay fewer eggs. (A) Total brood sizes. Counting eggs laid over the lifetime of hermaphrodite worms shows that the formin mutations fhod‐1(tm2363) and exc‐6(gk386) each result in reduced brood size, and their effects appear approximately additive in double fhod‐1(tm2363);exc‐6(gk386) mutants. Expression of wild‐type fhod‐1 from the extrachromosomal array upsEx42, or of wild‐type exc‐6 from the arrays upsEx48 or upsEx49, partially rescues this defect. (B) Timing of egg laying. Counting eggs laid per animal over the indicated time intervals demonstrates that formin mutants do not cease egg laying prematurely, but have a slower rate of egg production throughout their fertile period. Results shown are representative of three independent experiments. Bars indicate mean number of eggs counted for n animals, and error bars indicate one standard deviation. *** indicates P < 0.001.