Figure 4. Dync1li1^N235Y point mutation increases branching in cultured sensory neurons.

A, Fluorescent images of DRG neurons from wildtype and Dync1li1^N235Y homozygous mice under naive and injury conditions. Right leg sciatic nerves of wildtype and mutant mice were crush-lesioned three days before dissection of L4-5 DRG for primary culture of sensory neurons; corresponding contralateral DRGs were used for naive controls. Cultures were imaged by automated fluorescent microscopy after 20 hours in vitro, to obtain 150 images per slide, at magnification 10X. B, Quantification shows a significant increase in branching of naive sensory neurons from Dync1li1^N235Y/N235Y homozygotes (29.4% increase over wildtype). Increased branching was also observed in homozygous Dync1li1^N235Y/N235 sensory neurons after injury, although the difference is less pronounced than in naive neurons, apparently due to a more robust injury response in the wildtype neurons. ***, p< 10⁻⁶; *, p < 0.05 (Student’s t-test). Scale bar is 100 um.