Tenocytes from foal SDFT stained positively for alpha-SMA. However, the probe provided only weak fluorescence of the aSMA in tenocytes making it difficult to comprehensively catalogue the morphology of alpha-SMA in tenocyte cytoplasm. After some immunohistochemical method development, it was possible to image a limited number of tenocytes in 3D.

Animations of tenocytes provide "edited highlights" of 3D imaging. Left click on the links below and then choose "Open this file from its current location". Modify the properties of your movie player to repeat / loop the animations as they are designed to rotate indefinitely.

In all animations, nuclei stained with propidium iodide are represented in red, while alpha-SMA stained with Alexa Fluor 488^® are represented in green.

• A fairly typical tenocyte: Note the alpha-SMA localised at the pole of the cell
• A tenocyte with a large flange extending laterally. Faint staining of the neighbouring tenocyte's cytoplasm suggests that these flanges might join
• A short tenocyte with alpha-SMA surrounding its nucleus
• A longer tenocyte with alpha-SMA at both poles
• A short tenocyte with a fine network of alpha-SMA over the nucleus
• Several tenocytes, showing alpha-SMA joining tenocytes along a column, but not between columns