Fig. 4. Increased apoptosis and cell cavity formation in dic-1(RNAi) gonads. (A) Apoptotic cell corpses were counted in the germline with Nomarski optics after feeding C. elegans worms with dsRNA encoding dic-1 for 48 hours from the L4 stage. Germ cell corpses in the loop region of the gonad are indicated by the boxed area. The effects of apoptosis regulators ced-3(lf), ced-3(n717); ced-4(lf), ced-4(n1162); cep-1(lf) and cep-1(gk138) on the induction of apoptosis by dic-1(RNAi) are plotted in the graph. Error bars indicate standard errors. (B) RNAi was performed from the L1 stage and resulted in various phenotypes in the gonad, including undersized gonads, defective oocyte development and cavities. Cavities (brackets) were first observed in the young adult stage gonad but later expanded to the distal tip region of the gonad at the adult stage. ced-3(lf), ced-3(n717). V, vulva; Ds, distal tip region; Pr, proximal region. Scale bars: 25 µm.