Review Article

Desmosomal Molecules In and Out of Adhering Junctions: Normal and Diseased States of Epidermal, Cardiac and Mesenchymally Derived Cells

Figure 6

Double-label immunofluorescence micrographs, showing the localization of the “desmosomal protein”, plakophilin-2, in mesenchymally derived cultures of valvular interstitial cells (VICs). ( ), ( ) Phase contrast and immunofluorescence micrograph showing ovine VICs forming clusters of AJs positive for the typical desmosomal plaque component plakophilin-2 (red; vimentin filaments are labeled in green). (b)–(d) Represent merged images of ovine VICs, showing colocalization staining (yellow) of plakophilin-2 (red) with typical AJ proteins such as cadherin-11 (green, (b)), -catenin (green, (c)), protein p120 (green, (d)) all on a phase contrast background. (e) Human VICs exhibit similar colocalization of plakophilin-2 (red) here with N-cadherin (green) as shown by the yellow merge colour (for further details see [23]). Bar in (a): 25  m; bar in (b): 30  m; bars in (c) and (d): 20  m; bar in E: 10  m.
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