Figure 4.
Dync1li1N235Y point mutation increases branching in cultured sensory neurons. A, Fluorescent images of DRG neurons from wild-type and Dync1li1N235Y homozygous mice under naive and injury conditions. Right leg sciatic nerves of wild-type and mutant mice were crush-lesioned 3 d before dissection of L4–5 DRGs for primary culture of sensory neurons; corresponding contralateral DRGs were used for naive controls. Cultures were imaged by automated fluorescent microscopy after 20 h in vitro, to obtain 150 images per slide, at magnification 10×. B, Quantification shows a significant increase in branching of naive sensory neurons from Dync1li1N235Y/N235Y homozygotes (29.4% increase over wild type). Increased branching was also observed in homozygous Dync1li1N235Y/N235 sensory neurons after injury, although the difference is less pronounced than in naive neurons, apparently due to a more robust injury response in the wild-type neurons. ***p < 10−6; *p < 0.05 (Student's t test). Scale bar, 100 μm.