FIG 13.

Retention of Cx43 in an intracellular compartment in colchicine-treated primary astrocytes. Primary astrocytes were treated with 100 μM colchicine, a known microtubule-depolymerizing agent, and untreated astrocytes were maintained in parallel as a control. After 24 h, the cells were subjected to immunofluorescence for Cx43 (red), and DAPI (blue) was used to counterstain the nuclei. Untreated astrocytes showed characteristic punctate staining of Cx43 at the cell surface (B and C, thin arrow). In colchicine-treated astrocytes, Cx43 was localized mainly in the intracellular compartment (E and F, thick arrow) and was depleted from the cell surface.