Defects in neuromuscular junction remodelling in the Smn2B/− mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating childhood motor neuron disease caused by mutations and deletions within the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. Although other tissues may be involved, motor neurons remain primary pathological targets, with loss of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) representing an early and significant event in pathogenesis. Although defects in axonal outgrowth and pathfinding have been observed in cell culture and …