Endothelial tight junctions are maintained in EAE-affected NG2KO mice.

a-l Representative confocal images of cerebral cortex sections immunolabelled for claudin-5 and occludin. a, b, e, f The cerebral cortex microvessels show continuous staining patterns for both claudin-5 and occludin in P6 WT and adult naïve WT mice. c, d, g, h Claudin-5 and occludin appear irregularly organized in P6 NG2KO mice, with these modified patterns persisting in adult, naïve NG2KO mice; note the typical chain-like claudin-5 pattern in (g). i, j In the cortex microvessels of EAE WT mice, claudin-5 and occludin are lost along junctional tracts, whereas in EAE-affected NG2KO mice TJs proteins staining appears reinforced (k, l) and occludin acquires a ‘perforated ribbon-like’ configuration, with full and empty tracts. Nuclear counterstaining with TO-PRO-3. Scale bars, 10 μm.