Figure 3.

Localization of E-cadherin in heterotypic contacts. (A and B) Cells were fixed and double-stained with anti-actin (red, A) and anti-E-cadherin (green, B) antibodies. After a head-on collision between a single fibroblast (fb) and an island of epithelial cells (ep), the marginal bundle of the epithelial cell is disassembled at the site of contact, and there is no distinguishing difference between the staining patterns of the two cells at the site of contact. Staining with E-cadherin revealed the presence of fragmented clusters of E-cadherin along the zone of overlap between the epitheliocyte and the fibroblast. Note the well-defined continuous staining for E-cadherin along the edges of neighboring epithelial cells. (C) Cells were double labeled with anti-actin (red) and anti-E-cadherin (green) antibodies. Punctate yellow spots along the epithelial cell–fibroblast border (arrows) indicate the colocalization of E-cadherin and actin. Note the absence of E-cadherin (green) staining along the edge between two IAR-2 fibroblasts. (Bar = 10 μm.)