Fig. 3. Forcing development through an L2 arrest suppresses DMPP-induced lethality. (A) Worms grown on a low amount (80 µg) of heat-killed bacteria arrest development as L2 larvae. Bars represent the % of larvae at each developmental stage, mean of two independent experiments. (B,C) DIC pictures of a mid-L2 larva grown on live E. coli (B) and an arrested L2 larva grown on 80 µg heat-killed E. coli (C). Arrested L2 larvae show a seam cell pattern typical of a worm having completed the two successive L2 divisions without extensive anterior sister cell migration. There is high storage droplet content in the epidermis (C). Scale bar: 10 µm. (D) Schematic representation of worm development on low amount of heat-killed E. coli as schematized in Fig. 2D. (E) DMPP resistance of animals after L2 arrest. Both groups were grown on 0.75 mM DMPP. Worms transferred on standard plates after a 3-day arrest in L2 were partially resistant to DMPP (`3 days L2 diapause') when compared with control (`continuous development'). Error bar represents s.e.m., n=3 independent experiments.