Fig. 2.

Localization of syndecan-4 in interphase cells and in dividing cells during mitosis. a The cell surface syndecan-4 can connect the cells to the surrounding matrix and/or neighbor cells through the sulfonated sugar side chains and the cell-binding domain of the extracellular segment of syndecan-4. b Prior to mitosis syndecan-4 is periodically shed, i.e., the ectodomain is cleaved off, helping so the mitotic rounding. The phosphorylated shed remnants and phospho-syndecan-4 are retrieved from the plasma membrane and co-localize with the duplicated centrosomes, the mitotic spindles, and the K-fibers. Later, it accumulates in the spindle midzone. Syndecan-4 can be observed only with the mitotic machinery. It cannot be detected with MTOC, or microtubules of interphase cells