Figure 4. DRG Regeneration Restores Circuit and Behavioral Function.
(A) Z-projection time-lapse images of a Tg(sox10:syn-gfp) animal treated with Taxol before and after injury. White box denotes the area of insets. White arrows denote Syn-GFP puncta before injury. Green arrows denote new Syn-GFP puncta after re-entry. Blue arrows denote stabilized Syn-GFP.
(B) Diagram of circuit and behavioral analysis.
(C) Z-projection images of Tg(ngn1:gfp) animals stained for pErk following exposure to 4°C without injury or 8 consecutive avulsions and DMSO or Taxol treatment. Green outlines denote the area of DRG. Orange arrows denote pErk+ spinal cells.
(D) Number of pErk+ cells in the spinal cord on ipsilateral and contralateral sides of injury (n = 8 animals per treatment).
(E) Taxol-treated animals show a positive correlation between regenerated DRG and pErk intensity in the spinal cord (n = 8 animals).
(F and G) Behavior at 24 hpi (F) and 48 hpi (G) in animals without injuries, avulsions with DMSO, and avulsions with Taxol (n = 8 at 24 hpi, 5 at 48 hpi). (H and I) Percentage of time shaking (H) and number of shaking behaviors (I) in animals without injuries, avulsions, and DMSO treatment and without avulsions and Taxol treatment 24 hpi (n = 8 animals per treatment).
(J and K) Taxol-treated animals show a positive correlation between percentage of time shaking and regenerated DRG (J) and between percentage of time shaking and pErk spinal intensity (K) (n = 8 animals).
Two-way ANOVA was used in (D); linear regression was used in (E), (J), and (K); and Tukey’s HSD was used in (H) and (I). Scale bar, 10 μm.
