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. 2012 Aug 8;7(8):e42554. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042554

Figure 1. Retrograde transport is impaired in PLP-tg mutants, but reconstituted in the absence of the adaptive immune system and its cytotoxic molecules perforin and granzyme B.

Figure 1

A) Retina flat mounts (middle region) from 10 months-old wild type (PLP-wt), PLP-tg (PLP-tg RAG-1 wt) and immune-deficient PLP-tg (PLP-tg RAG-1−/−) mice after 6 days of retrograde axonal transport of fluorogold. Different cell sizes and fluorogold intensity of labeled RGCs are visible. Note that in immune-competent PLP-tg mice, less retrogradely labeled RGCs are detectable than in PLP-wt, where nearly all RGCs are retrogradely labeled. In immune-deficient PLP-tg mice, the number of labeled RGCs is comparable to that of PLP-wt mice. B) Quantification of retrogradely labeled RGCs of PLP-wt (n = 5), PLP-tg RAG-1 wt (n = 5) and PLP-tg RAG-1−/− (n = 5) mice. In comparison to PLP-wt mice, less RGCs were labeled in PLP-tg mice. In PLP-tg RAG-1−/− mice, a similar number of RGCs was labeled as in PLP-wt mice. C) Relative reduction of retrogradely-labeled RGCs of PLP-tg (n = 5) in comparison to PLP-wt (n = 4) mice, dependent on the time period for retrograde axonal transport. The extention of the time period for retrograde transport of fluorogold from 6 to 14 days leads to a drop of reduced retrograde labeling of RGCs, indicating that retrograde axonal transport, rather than the continuity of the axons, is impaired. *significant reduction of labeled RGCs in comparison to wt mice (p<0.05). D) Quantification of Nissl-stained RGCs of PLP-wt (n = 5), PLP-tg RAG-1 wt (n = 5) and PLP-tg RAG-1−/− (n = 5) mice. Note that the number of Nissl-stained RGCs is not reduced in the PLP-tg mutants, as opposed to retrogradely labeled RGCs (Figure 1B). E) Quantification of retrogradely labeled RGCs (6 days period for retrograde axonal transport) of PLP-wt (n = 5), PLP-tg RAG-1 wt (n = 5) and PLP-tg RAG-1−/− mice reconstituted with bone marrow (BM) from either wild type mice (PLP-tg RAG-1−/− wt BM, n = 5), perforin- (PLP-tg RAG-1−/− Perforin -, n = 4) or granzyme-B-deficient mice (PLP-tg RAG-1−/− GzmB -, n = 4). Note that lack of either cytotoxic perforin or granzyme B leads to a reconstitution of retrograde axonal transport to PLP-wt level.