Phenotypic Transition of the Collecting Duct Epithelium in Congenital Urinary Tract Obstruction
Figure 3
E-cadherin and -catenin immunoreactivity (IR). Normal kidneys ((a)–(c)). (a) In the early gestation kidney (10 weeks), E-cadherin-IR (red) and -catenin-IR (green) are localized in the cytoplasm (arrows). (b) Colocalization of E-cadherin-IR and -catenin-IR (yellow) to the intercellular junctions is well established by late gestation (27 weeks) (arrows), and (c) persists in the normal postnatal (12 months) kidney (arrow). Obstructed kidneys ((d)–(f)). (d) Disruption of E-cadherin-IR and -catenin-IR colocalization at the intercellular junctions, with translocation of -catenin-IR to the cytoplasm (green) and of E-cadherin-IR to the nucleus (red) (arrows in inset) in the (d) mid gestation kidney (18 weeks), (e) late gestation kidney (36 weeks), and (f) postnatally (16 months kidney). Scale bar = 25 m.
