FIGURE 2:

Tau inhibits EB localization at microtubule ends in fibroblasts. (A) Mouse embryonic fibroblasts were transfected with pEGFP-tau and stained for EGFP (tau, gray), EB1 (red), and tubulin (MT, green). Right, merged image with EB1 and tubulin staining. Images include transfected and nontransfected cells in the same field. Bar, 10 μm. (B) Higher magnifications of nontransfected (−tau) and transfected (+tau) cells. Arrowheads point to comets. Bar, 10 μm. (C) EB1 comet density normalized to the microtubule network surface (comet number/100 μm² of microtubule network) in lamellipodia of nontransfected (−tau) or pEGFP-tau transfected (+tau) cells. The histogram shows the mean ± SEM. ****p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test comparison (n = 80 and 88 regions of interest for –tau and +tau conditions, respectively). (D) The fluorescence intensity of comets was quantified in nontransfected (−tau) and transfected (+tau) cells and plotted against the distance from microtubule plus ends. Nonlinear regression curves fitting the mean fluorescence intensities ± SEM (70 and 95 comets for –tau and +tau conditions, respectively). a.u., arbitrary units.