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. 2014 Jun 3;5:3996. doi: 10.1038/ncomms4996

Figure 3. Overexpression of VAPB and/or PTPIP51 increases ER–mitochondria associations in NSC34 cells.

Figure 3

(a) Representative electron micrographs of ER–mitochondria associations in cells transfected with control ECFP vector (CTRL), ECFP-VAPB (VAPB), PTPIP51 (PTPIP51) or ECFP-VAPB+PTPIP51; arrowheads with loops show regions of association. (b) Low-magnification electron micrograph of cells co-transfected with VAPB and PTPIP51 to show numerous mitochondria with closely apposed ER. (c) With a zoom view; ER–mitochondria contacts in VAPB+PTPIP51 co-transfected cells showing tight associations of ER and mitochondria (Mit) as indicated with putative connections (arrowheads) linking ER with the outer mitochondrial membrane. Bar chart in a shows % of the mitochondrial surface closely apposed to ER in the different samples. Data were analysed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. N=30–32 cells and 376–483 mitochondria; error bars are s.e.m.; *P<0.05, ***P<0.001. Scale bars, 100 nm in (a) 500 nm in (b) and 30 nm in (c) zoom.