Fig. 6.

Dysmorphic RGCs with defective branches near the pial BM in the Fstl1-/- mice. RGC scaffolds are shown by DiI labelling at E15.5. (a and a’) Images were captured with an Olympus BX61 microscope and a DP71 digital camera. (b and b’) Images were captured with an FV1000 Olympus confocal microscope. (c to d’) The images are a projection of an 80-μm z-stack collected on an Olympus FV1000 confocal microscope. In the WT cortices, the RGC processes were aligned in parallel and were less branched (a and c). In the WT cortices, the branches of RGC processes were near the pial BM (d). In the Fstl1-/- cortices, many RGC processes were not parallel to one another (b’-d’), and the branching of their endfeet was more intricate (arrows in a’-d’). (e and e’) The images were high magnification of RGC scaffold endfeet. In the WT cortices, the endfeet of RGC processes (arrowhead in e) attached to the pial BM (open arrowhead in e). In the Fstl1-/- cortices, many RGC scaffold endfeet (arrowhead in e’) detached from the pial BM (open arrowhead in e’), and the branching of RGC processes was more intricate (arrows in e’). Scale bars: 100 μm for a-d’; 20 μm for e and e’