ascr#10 improves quality of oogenic germline. (A–C) Experimental scheme and results are shown for (A) embryonic lethality in progeny from day 5 adult N2 hermaphrodites aged on or off ascr#10 and mated to young N2 males; (B) percentage of males in self-progeny from day 5 adult N2 hermaphrodites aged on or off ascr#10; and (C) percentage of males in progeny from day 5 adult N2 hermaphrodites aged on or off ascr#10 and mated to young tra-2(q276) males. The tra-2(q276) males produce XX sperm. In A–C, dots represent means of experimental replicates, each paired with its control. (D) Percentage of males in progeny from day 5 adult him-5(e1490) hermaphrodites aged on or off ascr#10 mated to young tra-2(q276) males. (E and F) Day 7 adult N2 hermaphrodites aged on or off ascr#10 and examined for (E) abnormally sized oocytes and (F) gaps between oocytes are shown. (Scale bars, 10 μm.) (G) Mutants defective in cell death execution do not show reduced embryonic lethality (offspring of mated day 5 adults are shown) in the presence of ascr#10. In A through D and G, numbers inside bars represent totals of scored embryos. *P < 0.05; ***P < 0.001; n.s., not significant. See Table S1 for primary data and details of statistical analyses.