We injected the adenoviruses encoding TDP-43, FUS and shRNAs for protein degradation pathways into the facial nerve and let the viruses transfer to the facial motoneurons via retrograde axonal transport, and express the virus-induced foreign genes in the motoneurons. Approximately 10–30% of facial motoneurons were successfully labeled with DsRed and/or EGFP after the adenovirus injection. Similar to in vitro experiments as described above, adenovirus-induced wild type and CTF TDP-43 were localized exclusively in the nucleus and in

the cytoplasm in a diffuse manner, respectively selleckchem (Fig. 5A,B). Mutated TDP-43 proteins induced by adenovirus infection were also localized predominantly in the nucleus and rarely in the cytoplasm (Fig. 5C). We did not observe aggregate formation in either of these infected motoneurons. We then injected mixed suspensions of adenoviruses expressing TDP-43 and shRNAs into the facial nerve. Injection of mixtures of adenoviruses expressing wild type and CTF TDP-43, and shRNAs for protein degradation pathways PSMC1, ATG5 or VPS24 induced cytoplasmic aggregate formation in facial motoneurons (Fig. 5D–F). Similar aggregates were also formed when mutated TDP-43 was used instead

of wild type TDP-43 for combined injections (Table 2). To examine these aggregates under the electron microscope, Panobinostat order serial glutaraldehyde/paraformaldehyde-fixed vibratome sections of 50 μm thickness were made from brain stem tissues containing facial nuclei. We took photographs of the aggregate-bearing motoneurons in these sections under the fluorescent microscope, and the sections were embedded in Epon 812. Semithin sections were serially made and we identified the individual aggregate-bearing motoneurons in toluidine

blue-stained sections. We then made ultrathin sections and examined them under the electron microscope. As shown in Figure 6, cytoplasmic aggregates were identified in facial motoneurons co-infected with wild type and CTF TDP-43 and PSMC1 shRNA adenoviruses 7 days postoperation. These cytoplasmic aggregates were non-membrane bound and composed of electron-dense PAK5 granular materials and some filamentous structures (Fig. 6D,E). Similar cytoplasmic aggregates were also seen in facial motoneurons co-infected with wild type and CTF TDP-43 and ATG5 shRNA adenoviruses 7 days postoperation (Fig. 7). In these non-membrane-bound aggregates, some filamentous structures of 15–25 nm in diameter were seen among the granular materials (Fig. 7D–G). Concentric lamellar structures containing mitochondria and vesicles were also seen close to the aggregates, suggesting an impairment of autophagic flux due to ATG5 shRNA adenovirus infection (Fig. 7E).