Multiple Innervation (IMAGE)

Princeton University

Multiple Innervation

Caption

Princeton University researchers found that proteins in the MHCI, or major histocompatibility complex class I, family may contribute to fine-tuning a person's motor control as they grow -- and also contribute to their gradual loss of muscle function as they age. They found that MHCI proteins "prune" the connections, or synapses, between motor neurons and muscle fibers, which is necessary during early development. This image from a mouse bred to express less MHCI shows two motor neurons (green) still connected to a single muscle fiber (red) at an age when only one connection should remain.

Credit

Image by Lisa Boulanger, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and Mazell Tetruashvily, Department of Molecular Biology

Usage Restrictions

None

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.