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The Journal of Neuroscience logoLink to The Journal of Neuroscience
. 1987 Apr 1;7(4):1215–1222. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.07-04-01215.1987

Visualization of neuromuscular junctions over periods of several months in living mice

JW Lichtman, L Magrassi, D Purves
PMCID: PMC6569015  PMID: 3572477

Abstract

Identified neuromuscular junctions were followed in the sternomastoid muscle of living mice for several months by repeated staining with the fluorescent dye 4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (4- Di-2-ASP; Magrassi et al., 1987). Overall terminal growth occurred at many endplates; however, the branching pattern of presynaptic arbors was largely unchanged, even after several months. The absence of significant remodeling over time was not a result of dye-staining, since sprouting was readily induced at residual motor endings by partial denervation. We conclude that--apart from overall growth--most neuromuscular junctions in the adult mouse are stable over intervals that represent a significant fraction of the animal's lifetime.


Articles from The Journal of Neuroscience are provided here courtesy of Society for Neuroscience

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