Figure 6: Prohibitins are required for myelination in vitro.

(a) Schwann cells silenced for either Phb1 or Phb2 have reduced myelination. Schwann cells (200,000) were seeded on dorsal root ganglia neurons and allowed to myelinate for 7 days. In this condition 85% of the silenced cells survive (Supplementary Fig. 6h). Cultures were stained for Myelin Basic Protein (MBP, green), neurofilament (red) and DAPI (blue). The number (b) and length (c) of internodes were quantified. No myelin segments were observed when silencing for Prohibitin-1 (shPhB1#54). (d,e) Three times more Schwann cells (600,000) were seeded on dorsal root ganglia neurons and allowed to myelinate for 7 days. In this condition, a similar number of control and silenced Schwann cells are present, but the defect in myelination persists. Error bars indicate s.e.m. n=3 coverslips from three independent experiments in b,c,e. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA. *P< 0.05, ***P<0.001, Scale bar, 100 μm.