Fig. 7. Increased germline apoptosis in cgh-1(RNAi) hermaphrodites. (A) Acridine orange (AO) staining. Wild type control (blue) and cgh-1(RNAi) (red) hermaphrodites from the indicated stages were AO-stained, then anesthetized and visualized by fluorescence and Nomarski DIC microscopy (as in C and D). Numbers of AO-positive cells per gonad arm were counted in L4 animals (0 hours) and at the indicated times thereafter, then plotted. (B) Germline cell corpses. Numbers of germline cell corpses per gonad arm were counted in living wild type and cgh-1(RNAi) hermaphrodites, and graphs constructed as in A. (C-J) Merged AO staining and Nomarski images of representative 2-day-old no RNAi control (C,E,G,I) and cgh-1(RNAi) (D,F,H,J) hermaphrodites. Experiments were performed in the following genetic backgrounds: wild type (C,D), ced-3(n717) (E,F), mpk-1(ga117), (G and H) and ced-9(n1950gf) (I,J). White arrowheads indicate representative germline corpses, and orange arrowheads indicate the gonad regions of which Nomarski details are shown in C and D. The diffuse background AO staining apparent in many panels derives from the intestine. d, distal; p, proximal and i, intestine. (K and L) Nomarski views of representative 2-day-old ced-1 (K) and ced-1; cgh-1(RNAi) (L) hermaphrodites, labeled as in C and D. ced-1; cgh-1(RNAi) animals contained increased numbers of typical corpses in the loop region (see inset) along with numerous small unengulfed oocyte corpses located more proximally.