Figure 3.

c-Jun Controls the Structure of Denervated Schwann Cells In Vivo and in Culture

(A) Electron micrographs of distal stumps of WT and c-Jun mutant (cKO) sciatic nerve 28 days after transection (no regeneration). The WT nerve contains classic regeneration tracks (Bands of Bungner; an example is bracketed, showing several Schwann cell processes within a basal lamina tube). These do not form in the mutant, which instead contains irregular and flattened cellular profiles. Bar: 1 μm.

(B) The number of cellular profiles per regeneration track is sharply reduced in the mutant. Error bars: ± SEM; p < 0.05, n = 4.

(C) Mutant cellular profiles are flatter (lower roundness index). Error bars: ± SEM; p < 0.05, n = 4.

(D and E) In vitro, WT Schwann cells from neonatal nerves show typical bi- or tripolar morphology, but mutant cells (cKO) are flat, irrespective of whether they are taken from c-Jun mutants (D) or obtained by infecting c-Jun^f/f cells with CRE-adenovirus (E). Cells are labeled with β1 integrin antibodies. Bar: 20 μm.