Fig. 3.

Normal NMJ formation but increased nerve branching in KO mice. Whole mounts of E18.5 diaphragm muscles were double-stained with Texas red α-bungarotoxin to label postsynaptic AChRs and an antibody against syntaxin to label presynaptic nerves. In both WT and KO muscles, presynaptic nerve terminals formed in juxtaposition with postsynaptic AChR clusters (B). However, there were increased nerve branching and defasciculation in the KO diaphragm compared with the WT (A). AChR clusters also occupied a broader area in the central region of the KO diaphragm. [Scale bars, 400 μm (A), 20 μm (B).]