Figure 5.

Androgen depletion does not affect degradation of adherens and tight junction–associated proteins. Cx32-expressing LNCaP cells, grown either in six-well clusters or 10-cm dishes, were switched to charcoal-stripped (STRIP) medium. After 48 h, degradation of Cx32 and formation of gap junctions and that of tight and adherens junction–associated proteins occludin and E-cadherin and α- and β-catenins were assessed immunocytochemically (A) and biochemically by TX100 insolubility assay (B) as described in Materials and Methods. Note that the expression level of only Cx32 decreased in charcoal-stripped (STRIP) serum. Note also that the expression level of E-cadherin and α- and β-catenins as well as of occludin did not decrease in the presence and absence of androgens (B) and these proteins remained localized at cell–cell contact areas (A). T, total; S, TX100-soluble fraction; I, TX100-insoluble fraction.