PGL granules act as sites for mRNA metabolism that are distinct from stress granules, related to Fig. 2 . (A) The SG marker GTBP-1::GFP is diffuse in the cytoplasm in somatic cells in atg-3 mutant embryos at 26°C. (B) Numerous GTBP-1::GFP stress granules accumulate, while no PGL granules accumulate in WT embryos after heat shock treatment (33°C for 1 h). (C) GTBP-1::GFP forms numerous granules, which are separate from PGL granules in atg-3 mutant embryos after heat shock treatment (33°C for 1 h). Embryos at the ∼100–200 cell stage are shown in A–C. (D–J) The dynamics of PGL granules, shown by GFP::PGL-3, at the indicated time points after WT or atg-3 mutant embryos were shifted from 26 to 20°C. Quantification of the number of PGL granules in D–I is shown in J. Data are shown as mean ± SEM (n = 3; n refers to the number of embryos analyzed for each genotype). Two-tailed, unpaired t test results: n.s.: no significant difference, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. Maximum-intensity projections of Z-stack confocal images of comma-stage embryos are shown in D–I. (K–S) The dynamics of GTBP-1::GFP granules at the indicated time points in WT embryos, atg-3 mutant embryos and pgl-3(RNAi) embryos after the embryos were shifted from 33 to 20°C. S shows the quantification of the number of GTBP-1::GFP granules in K–R. Comma-stage embryos are shown in K–R. Data are shown as mean ± SEM (n = 3; n refers to the number of embryos analyzed for each genotype or condition). Two-tailed, unpaired t test results: n.s.: no significant difference, **P < 0.01. (T)gtbp-1(RNAi) has no effect on the accumulation of PGL granules in embryos laid at 26°C. Maximum-intensity projection of Z-stack confocal images of a comma-stage embryo is shown. Scale bars: 5 µm for A–C, D–I, K–R, and T; 2 µm for enlarged images in A–C.