Fig. 3. Depleting HBP levels in the early embryo results in defects in chromatin structure. (A) A DIC photomicrograph of a wild-type embryo immediately after the division of the AB and P1 blastomeres, which generates ABa/ABp and EMS/P2, respectively. (B) An epifluorescent image of the same embryo in A showing the H2B::GFP expression associated with the newly divided nuclei. The arrowhead indicates one of the polar bodies that has been drawn between the two AB nuclei upon cytokinesis (the other polar body is visible at the anterior of the embryo). (C) A DIC photomicrograph of an embryo derived from an animal raised on R06F6.1 dsRNA expressing HT115 bacteria at an equivalent developmental stage to the embryo in (A,B). (D) An epifluorescence image of the same embryo as in (C), with H2B::GFP labelling the chromatin. Arrow indicates fluorescent material present between the dividing cells. Note the presence of the polar body (arrowhead), which indicates that this cell has undergone cytokinesis. (E) A DIC photomicrograph of a wild-type 4-cell embryo. Note that all four blastomeres have round nuclei. (F) A DIC photomicrograph of a his-9/10(RNAi) 4-cell embryo showing abnormal nuclear morphology in the two AB daughter cells (white arrowheads). (G,H). Epifluorescence images of wild-type (G) and R06F6.1(RNAi) (H) fixed embryos stained with DAPI. Arrows indicate cells in anaphase showing the poorly condensed chromosomes of R06F6.1(RNAi) embryos compared to wild- type. Anterior is to the left in all panels. Scale bar represents 10 µm.

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