Figure 4.

Effect of ELMO1-dependent phagocytosis of DCX⁺ cells on neurogenesis in vivo. (a) Representative images of the SGZ from wild-type and Elmo1^−/− mice examined for DCX and BrdU immunoreactivity 7 days after BrdU injection. The brackets indicate the width of the granular layer. Scale bars, 20 μm. (b) The bar graphs (means ± s.e.m.) represent the quantification of total numbers of BrdU⁺ cells (proliferating cells), total numbers of all BrdU⁺DCX⁺ cells (neuronal progenitors), total numbers of DCX⁺ cells per 200 μm of the SGZ (neuronal progenitors, alternative quantification) and percentages of DCX⁺BrdU⁺ out of all BrdU⁺ cells (neuronal differentiation of proliferating cells) per hippocampus in wild-type and Elmo1^−/− mice. Student’s t -test statistical analysis was carried out for n = 6 mice in each group with at least ten slices analysed for each mouse (* P < 0.05; *** P < 0.01). (c) Mean (±s.e.m.) width of a granular cell layer. Student’s t -test was carried out for n = 6 mice per group with at least ten slices analysed for each mouse (*** P < 0.001). (d) Representative images of the SVZ immunolabelled for DCX from wild-type and Elmo1^−/− mice (LV, lateral ventricle). The bar graph represents quantification of the areas occupied by DCX⁺ cells per field (mean ± s.e.m.). Student’s t -test statistical analysis was carried out between the groups for n = 6–8 mice in each group with at least ten slices analysed for each mouse (* P < 0.05). Representative experiment out of three independently carried out (n > 10 fields analysed in each experiment). Scale bars, 50 μm. (e) High magnification of the SGZ immunolabelled for DCX⁺ cells in wild-type and Elmo1^−/− mice. The bar graph represents a quantification of dendritic arborization of DCX⁺ cells in wild-type and Elmo1^−/− mice (mean s.e.m.). Student’s t -test statistical analysis was carried out for at least n± 100 DCX⁺ cells in each group with at least n = 5 mice per group analysed (** P < 0.01). Scale bars, 40 μm.