Fig. 5: Axonal plasticity is mediated by modulation of membrane mechanics.
From: Membrane mechanics dictate axonal pearls-on-a-string morphology and function
a, Example micrographs showing axon morphology from control neurons unstimulated or stimulated with three trains of 100 pulses at 100 Hz (HFS) and high-pressure frozen at 5 and 30 min after stimulation; scale bars, 200 nm. b, Plots showing the dimensions of NSVs (left) and connectors (right) from axons in a. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. and were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by a Dunn’s multiple comparison test; N = 3 independent cultures and n = 100 axons each. c, Example micrographs showing axon morphology from MꞵCD-treated neurons (5 mM for 30 min) unstimulated or stimulated with three trains of 100 pulses at 100 Hz (HFS) and high-pressure frozen at 5 and 30 min after stimulation; scale bars, 200 nm. d, Plots showing the dimensions of NSVs (left) and connectors (right) from axons in c. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. and were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by a Dunn’s multiple comparison test; N = 3 independent cultures and n = 100 axons each. e, Example images and plots showing normalized intensity of the cholesterol biosensor NeonGreen–ALOD4 in neurons unstimulated or stimulated with HFS and fixed 5 or 30 min after. Data are shown as median and 95% confidence interval (no stimulation (stim): 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.04, n = 109; 5 min after HFS: 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.52–0.61, n = 110; 30 min after HFS: 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.44–0.54, n = 91); N = 3 independent cultures. Data were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by a Dunn’s multiple comparison test. f, Example traces from electrophysiology experiments, performed as described in Fig. 4i. g, Example traces from electrophysiology experiments in acute slices of mouse hippocampus, performed as described in Fig. 4i. h, Predicted AP conduction velocity based on the dimensions of NSVs and connectors before and 5, 30 and 60 min after HFS. i, Measured AP conduction velocity before and 5, 30 and 60 min after HFS. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. and were analyzed by Kolmogorov–Smirnov test between curves (P = 0.23) and Mann–Whitney U-test (two sided) between individual time points within treatment conditions.
