xav mutants exhibit aberrant mitochondria distribution in motor neurons. A–B. Mito-GFP was expressed in motor neurons and branching and synapse formation followed over time. In WT embryos at ∼56 hpf, mitochondria are distributed along the entire axon. Mitochondria are continuously added over time, increasing both in number and density. In contrast, in xav mutants, while the number and distribution of mitochondria clusters along the axon are comparable to WT embryos at ∼56 hpf, the continuous addition of mitochondria is absent, resulting in a decrease of mitochondria cluster density by 3 dpf. N = 9–10 embryos, 3–4 carrier pairs. Scale bar = 20 μm.
|