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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Mar 15.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Biol. 2008 Jan 8;315(2):404–417. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.12.041

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Expression of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors is regulated by target contact and influence sympathetic neurite extension. (A), (B) Sympathetic neurons were grown in the absence, T(−), or presence, T(+), of myocytes and RNA was isolated after 2 days. The expression of HAND2 (A) and HAND1 (B) mRNA was measured by real-time PCR and normalized to the GAPDH level. Data is shown as the mean ± s.e.m. of a minimum of 8 independent mRNA preparation, * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01. (C), (D), (E) Sympathetic cultures were co-transfected with EGFP-CD8 and HAND2, HAND1, or E12. In control dishes neurons were transfected with EGRP-CD8 alone (Ctrl). The average neurite length was analyzed for control EGFP-labeled neurons and for neurons co-expressing HAND2, HAND1 or E12. Data is shown as the mean ± s.e.m of a minimum of 13 transfected neurons, *p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01. (F) Images of a neuron expressing EGFP-CD8 (top panel) and a neuron co-transfected with EGFP-CD8 and E12 (bottom panel). Scale bar = 100 μm. Traced arbors are shown to the right of the composite photographs.