FIGURE 4.

Plectin knockdown has little effect on cell shape or the cytoskeletal networks of AECs. A–F, day 2 AECs seeded on laminin YIGSR peptide-coated glass coverslips or elastomer membranes were either left untreated (normal) or were infected with adenovirus encoding human lamin shRNA (Δh-lamin) or plectin shRNA (Δplectin). The next day, cells were serum-starved, and 24 h later, cells on glass coverslips were fixed and immunostained for actin, tubulin, and keratin although those on elastomer membranes were either left static or were exposed to equibiaxial stretch at 30 cycles per min for 10 min before being fixed and immunostained for actin, tubulin, and keratin, as indicated. Phase contrast images of the cells (upper panels) reveal that cell shape or size was not perturbed either by plectin knockdown or stretch, and similarly there was no effect on cytoskeletal architecture (lower panels) under the same conditions. Scale bar, 10 μm.