FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3

The microbiota influences myelination. (A) Schematic representation of PFC region of interest. Olig2+/PDGFR⍺+ analysis was performed on the mPFC: anterior cingulate (AC), prelimbic (PL), and infralimbic (IL) (green outline). CNPase staining was performed across prefrontal cortex, including grey matter, white matter (corpus callosum), and the striatum (caudate and putamen), as well as other regions of interest, outlined in magenta. (B–D) Total number of (B) Olig2+ (C) PDGFR⍺+ and (D) Olig2+/PDGFR⍺+ cells per mm² within the mPFC of germ‐free (GF) and conventionally‐raised (CON) at P21. (E) Representative images of pan oligodendrocytes (Olig2⁺; green) and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (PDGFR⍺⁺; magenta) immunofluorescence in the mPFC of GF and CON mice at P21. Scale bar, 100 µm. (F) Representative images of mature oligodendrocytes (CNPase⁺; white) immunofluorescence across GF and CON brain sections from rostral to caudal at P21. Magenta lines illustrate areas of interest. Scale bar, 200 µm. (G) Percentage of CNPase per mm² from rostral to caudal brains in GF and CON mice at P21. (H) Total percentage of CNPase per mm² in the PFC of GF and CON mice at P21. Data presented as Mean ± SEM. Sample size: Early Development P21: n = 6 mice/group. Microbiota; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, Sex; #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01. Detailed statistical analysis can be found in Supplementary Table S1.