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. 2012 Jan 4;32(1):229–242. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-11.2012

Figure 5.

Figure 5.

Mitochondrial morphological abnormalities in axons, but not dendrites, of mutant SOD1 motor neurons. A, Images of mitoDendra-labeled mitochondria in distal axonal segments of non-transgenic, WT SOD1, and G93A SOD1 motor neurons (MN). Scale bar, 5 μm. B, Quantification of mitochondrial length from proximal and distal axonal segments in non-transgenic, WT SOD1, and mutant motor neurons. Mitochondria were significantly smaller in distal portions of G93A axons. n (mitochondria) = 533 non-transgenic, 566 WT and 381 G93A. *p < 0.0005 versus non-transgenic. C, Quantification of mitochondrial length in dendrites. No significant differences were observed. n (mitochondria) = 309 non-transgenic, and 367 G93A. D, Analysis of mitochondria distribution in controls and mutant motor neurons revealed no differences among groups. n (axons) = 29 non-transgenic, 29 WT and 23 G93A. E, Representative fluorescence (top) and electron microscopy (bottom) images of the distal tip of axons of non-transgenic and G93A SOD1 motor neurons. Dashed lines delineate the axon terminals. Note the similar mitochondrial distribution pattern in control and mutant motor neurons. Scale bars, 5 μm for fluorescence, and 1 μm for electron microscopy images. F, Analysis of mitochondria distribution in non-transgenic, WT SOD1, and mutant motor neuron distal axonal segments. Distribution measurements were binned into 25 μm segments. No significant differences were observed among groups. n (axons) = 15 non-transgenic, 16 WT and 14 G93A. G, Analysis of mitochondrial density in controls and mutant motor neurons. Mitochondrial density was significantly reduced distally in G93A SOD1 motor neurons. n (axons) = 29 non-transgenic, 29 WT and 23 G93A. *p < 0.05 versus non-transgenic. Data obtained from 3–5 independent motor neuron isolations. The error bars represent ± SE. Non-tg, Non-transgenic.