Permanent α1- and α2-chimaerin N1E-115 cell lines show differences in morphology. A, N1E-115 cell lines overexpressing α1- chimaerin (b–d) or α2-chimaerin (e–j) were grown in DMEM, 10% FCS, fixed, subjected to immunocytochemistry and/or phalloidin staining, and analyzed by confocal (b–e, h–j) or fluorescence microscopy (f, g). Parent N1E-115 cells are shown for comparison (a). Phalloidin staining of F-actin (a–e, g, j), anti-α2-chimaerin antibody staining are shown in f, an α2-chimaerin expressing cell (h–j) stained with anti-neurofilament p68 (Sigma) in h, anti-p35 (cdk5 neuronal activator) (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA) in i, and phalloidin inj. Scale bar, 25 μm. B, Quantification of cell morphologies in the presence or absence of FCS. α1-chimaerin, α2-chimaerin N1E-115 cell lines, and vector-transfected N1E-115 control cell line (HAv) grown in DMEM in the presence or absence of 10% FCS were counted in five morphology categories; round, flattened, enlarged cells >50 μm, cells with peripheral microspikes, and cells with neurites >2× cell diameter in length. We counted 600–1000 cells per category. Error bars indicate SD.