<i>pab-1</i> is required throughout postembryonic germline development.

<p>(A1-E3) <i>pab-1</i> RNAi was administered at each larval stage for 24 hours. Germline development was observed when RNAi-treated worms reached the adult stage by co-immunostaining with anti-PGL-1, a germline-specific marker, and monoclonal antibody SP56, which specifically recognizes sperm, along with TO-PRO-3 nuclear staining. Dissected gonads from adult animals treated with <i>pab-1</i> RNAi when they were at the L1 (B1-B3), L2 (C1-C3), L3 (D1-D3), and L4 (E1-E3) stages are shown. A control adult gonad with mock RNAi treatment (A1-A3) is also shown. Dissected gonads (outlined by dashed lines) are oriented with the distal ends at the right side. Average numbers of germ cells per gonad arm after each RNAi treatment are shown at the bottom of each DNA image. Asterisk indicates the distal end of each gonad. Circles in A2, D2, and E2 indicate SP56 signal. Bars, 10 µm. Localization of P granules after <i>pab-1</i> RNAi treatment (G1-G3) is shown along with mock RNAi control (F1-F3). (H) Average number of germ cells per gonad arm along with the expression level of <i>pab-1</i> mRNA measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR at embryonic, L1, L2-L3, L4 larval, and young adult (yA) stages in wild-type N2 are shown. Error bars represent s.d. (I) Western blot analysis of PAB-1 protein expression with anti-PAB-1, in <i>pab-1</i> RNAi-treated and control <i>rrf-1</i>(pk1417) animals, as well as in wild-type N2, <i>pab-1</i>(bn116) and <i>pab-1</i>(bn119) mutants, and in the germline proliferation defective glp-1(q231) mutant. α-Tubulin was used as a loading control.