Figure 1: GLB-12 is essential for reproduction.

(a) glb-12 RNAi in the WT (n=16 biological replicates) and RNAi-hypersensitive strain rrf-3 (n=3) caused a decreased fecundity. **P<0.01 (two-sided Student t-test); data are represented as mean±s.e.m. (b) Schematic representation of the C. elegans’ reproductive system anatomy. (c) GLB-12 is expressed in neurons (asterisk), the vulva (arrow) (upper panel, scale bar: 100 μm), and very specific regions of the somatic gonad (lower panel, scale bar, 20 μm), that is, the somatic sheath (dotted line), the proximal part of the spermatheca (arrowhead) and the uterus (full line). (d) glb-12 RNAi caused multiple defects in the germline. Solid line indicates the meiotic transition region pachytene—diplotene—diakinesis (left panels); bar shows the rachis size; asterisks indicate apoptotic cells and arrows indicate irregular compartment junctions and nuclei (right panels). Scale bar: 10 μm.