Fig. 6.

PLM synapses are preserved in zyx-1 mutants when locomotion is decreased. (A) Live imaging of PLM synapses during sinusoidal locomotion of an L4 animal. Images taken over the course of 5 min are aligned to show the stability of the morphology of synapses during the physical strain of locomotion. Scale bar: 10 µm. (B) Disruption of the muscle structural gene for myosin heavy chain, unc-54, led to immobilization of zyx-1 animals and restoration of PLM synapses. PLM synapses per animal are plotted as a function of genotype. n=69-140. Error bars indicate ± s.e.m. (C) Disruption of unc-54 suppresses the delay in branch outgrowth and synapse formation caused by loss of zyx-1. The fraction of PLM processes with branches or synapses is shown as a function of time after hatching for unc-54 and unc-54; zyx-1 animals. n=78-136 axons for post-hatching times and n=48-58 axons at hatching.