Fig. 5.

In the Npc1 mutant mice, in vitro cultured GCs display a reduced BDNF chemotaxis response. Purified wt and Npc1^nmf164 GCs were cultured for 24 h in Boyden chambers without (−BDNF) or with (+BDNF) 40 ng/mL BDNF in the lower chambers. GCs that migrated through the porous membrane into the lower chamber were directly quantified by fluorescence microscopy. Representative fields of migrated GCs, with nuclei staining with 0.5 μg/mL Hoechst-33258. Scale bar 20 μm. The results from five separate experiments, expressed as number of migrated cells normalized to untreated cells, are shown in the histograms. Treated Npc1^nmf164 GCs (black bars) display a significant reduced chemotaxis response to BDNF compared to the treated wt cells (white bars). *p< .05 versus wt (n = 5 mice/group)