Fig. 3. The PGs of smt3i larvae do not show massive degeneration. (A-D) Confocal single plane micrographs showing DAPI staining of nuclei (purple) and Phalloidin (green) to show cell contour. The nuclei of smt3i cells (B-D) show a large DAPI-negative space in the centre. Cells are bigger than in WT (A) and some `giant cells' appear in each PG (arrows). With time, smt3i PGs show lower number of cells than do WT (C,D). (E-G) Confocal pictures showing nuclei (purple) and the activated initiator caspase Nc (green) that indicates whether the cell has entered into apoptosis. At 5 to 6 days AEL, the PGs do not show massive cell death and the levels of Nc are comparable to WT (E versus F). Only sporadic apoptotic cells are observed in smt3i larvae, which could correspond to the `giant cells' (arrow in G). (H) Electron micrograph showing four apoptotic bodies (AB), in a large extracellular space probably representing the remnants of an apoptotic cell, surrounded by non-apoptotic cells (labelled a, b and c) in a 5-day-old smt3i ring gland. Scale bar: 2 µm. He, hemocoel; BL, basal lamina.