Fig. 5

Ascl1 overexpression leads to ectopic neuronal differentiation. All brains have been dissected, flatmounted and in lateral view. a, b, a’, b’; n = 3 The neuronal populations were labelled with HuC/D in the chick brain after electroporation with the pAscl1 plasmids. Box indicates higher magnification image. a, a’ More HuC/D positive cells were visible in the mesencephalon (arrowhead). b, b’ The un-transfected half of the brain showed normal distribution of neurons. c, d, c’, d’; n = 3 The neuronal populations and their associated axon tracts were labelled with Neurofilament in the chick brain after electroporation with the pAscl1 plasmid. c There was an increase in the number of neurons and axons in the mesencephalon. Some of these neurons projected axons into the hindbrain (arrow), not seen in control side (d). Box indicates higher magnification image. (c’) Some axons did not project correctly. In the ventral brain axons projected rostrally towards the DMB (arrowhead) and other axons within the mesencephalon projected in a curved shape (arrowhead), not directly ventral like the axons in the control (d). d, d’ Normal distribution of neurons and axons projected in the correct way. For abbreviations see Table 1