Fig. 6. Increased physiological apoptosis in car-1(RNAi) hermaphrodites. (A) The number of germ cells that stained with AO was counted in one gonad arm per animal (n>25) at 24 and 48 hours after the L4 molt. This cell death was not observed in the ced-3(n717) background and occurred at similar levels in car-1(RNAi) and ced-9(n1950gf);car-1(RNAi) hermaphrodites. Error bars represent one standard deviation; asterisks denote P<0.05 by t-test. (B) Merged Nomarski and AO staining images of representative wild-type (N2) and car-1(RNAi)animals. AO-positive cells appear to vary in size because they are detected at different stages of death. White arrowheads indicate some of the apoptotic cells. (C) Presence of anucleate cytoplasmic spheres (ACS) in the car-1(RNAi) hermaphrodite gonad. A late one-day-old gonad is shown. White arrowheads indicate ACS, which accumulate in the proximal gonad and have a granular appearance similar to oocytes. Oocytes at the –1, –2 and –3 positions are indicated.