oocyte eggs inuterusspermatheca

gonad

vulva

Gametogenesis in the adult hermaphrodite of C. elegans

Chromosome structures in the gonad of the adult hermaphrodite

0-8h: II (early embryogenesis) + III (diakinesis oocyte)8-24h: III + IV + V + VI (diplotene to pachytene nuclei)

Egg hatchability in the wild-type hermaphrodite after X-ray irradiation

(0- 8 h) (8 – 22< h)

Egg hatchability in the wild-type hermaphrodite after heavy ions and UV irradiation

Requirement of Ce-rdh-1 & Ce-atl-1 genes for ds-break repair system

Requirement of Ce-atl-1 gene for UV-damage repair system

CED3 apoptosis system is dispensable for ds-break repair system in meiotic cells.

Conclusion

(1) Meiotic pachytene nuclei were hyper-resistant to X-ray, 12C, and 18Ar-ion beam irradiation.

(2) It suggests that general recombination activity during meiosis can effectively repair ds-breaks and gaps by X-ray, 12C, and 18Ar-ion beam irradiation.

(3) A checkpoint kinase Ce-atl-1 (ATM/ATR like 1) was also involved in repair for X-ray and UV damages of mitotic and meiotic cells.