FIG. 4.
Microscopic analysis of ILK-deficient endothelial cells. Endothelial cells were purified from ILKflox/flox mice and transduced with either AdGFP or AdCre as described above or left uninfected. Phase-contrast microscopy shows rounded shape and subsequent detachment of ILK-deficient cells. F-actin phalloidin staining (middle panel, arrows) demonstrates typical stress fibers in untransduced and green fluorescent protein-transduced endothelial cells, with marked loss and peripheral accentuation in ILK deletion cells. Antivinculin staining (lower panel, arrows) shows atypical coarse granules, suggestive of disrupted focal adhesions in ILK-deficient endothelial cells. Results shown are representative of one of three independent experiments.