Fig. 2

ALS motor neurons have elevated levels of nuclear PAR. a. Spinal cord sections from a neurologically normal case showing a motor neuron with no nuclear PAR immunoreactivity (arrow). An ALS-no mut case with three motor neurons with nuclear PAR (arrows). An ALS-ATXN2 case with two motor neurons presenting with nuclear PAR (arrows). An ALS-c9 case with one motor neuron with nuclear PAR (arrow). Sections were immunostained for PAR and counterstained with Hematoxylin. b. The presence of cytoplasmic PAR in the motor neurons of the spinal cord was quantified on a semi-quantitative scale (0 no detectable cytoplasmic PAR; + cytoplasmic PAR detected in 1 motor neuron; ++ cytoplasmic PAR detected in > 1 motor neuron), see also Tables 3 and 4. The data was charted as a percentage. c. The presence of nuclear PAR in the motor neurons of the spinal cord was quantified on a semi-quantitative scale (0 no detectable nuclear PAR; + nuclear PAR detected in 1 motor neuron; ++ nuclear PAR detected in > 1 motor neuron), see also Tables 3 and 4. The data were charted as a percentage. Slides were fully blinded and examined independently by two researchers, images for figures were captured with a 20X objective and an optivar magnification of 1.6