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Figure 4


Fig. 4. The Ankyrin-binding and PH domains are not required for axon guidance. (A-E) Late stage 16 embryos stained with the anti-Fas2 Mab. Anterior is up. (A) ß-spectrin heterozygous embryos have no Fas2-positive longitudinal bundles crossing the midline. (B) ß-spectrin (em6) hemizygous embryos display Fas2-positive axons crossing the midline (arrows). (C) ß-spectrin null hemizygous embryos ubiquitously expressing full-length ß-Spectrin are rescued for both the medial ectopic crossing defect and lateral longitudinal breaks. (D) Ubiquitously expressing a form of ß-Spectrin lacking the Ankyrin-binding domain (ßSpec{Delta}ank) also rescues the midline axon guidance defects seen in ß-spectrin mutant embryos. (E) Ubiquitously expressing a form of ß-Spectrin lacking the PH domain (ßSpec{Delta}PH) also rescues ß-spectrin mutant midline guidance errors. (F) Quantification of ectopic Fas2-positive midline crossovers in ß-spectrin heterozygous, hemizygous mutant, and transgenic rescued backgrounds. a, em6/+ (n=15); b, em6/Y (n=13); c, em6/Y+Ub-ßSpecWT (n=9); d, em6/Y+Ub-ßSpec{Delta}ank (n=15); e, em6/Y + Ub-ß-Spec{Delta}PH (n=20). Asterisk denotes a significant difference between genotype b and genotypes a, c, d and e (P=1.22x10-6; two-sample Student's t-test). Error bars indicate s.e.m. (G-M) Same embryos as in B-E, stained with the polyclonal anti-Myc antibody. Anti-Myc stainings were performed at the same time and images were taken at the same confocal settings. (G) Sibling ß-spectrin mutant embryos not expressing a transgene do not stain with the Myc antibody. Ubiquitously expressed wild-type ß-Spectrin localizes to the axons (H) and to the plasma membrane at sites of cell contact (K). Ubiquitously expressed ßSpec{Delta}ank localizes similarly to full-length transgenic protein to the axon scaffold (I) and to the plasma membrane (L). Ubiquitously expressed ßSpec{Delta}PH localizes to axons (J), although at reduced levels, but is no longer localized to the plasma membrane nor at sites of cell contact (M).