Fig. 4.
Cx43 20 kDa isoform promotes N-cadherin expression. a WB showing Cx43 temporal expression. b Cx43 expression levels normalized to MAPK. Levels for Cx43 full length (Cx43FL) and Cx43-20k are plotted (n = 82 embryos, N = 3). c Western blot against Cx43 using extracts from whole embryos (st21) and dissected neural crest (st21) (nwhole embryo = 20; nneural crest = 50 neural crests, N = 3). d Diagram of Cx43 constructs used. e Blastula embryos analyzed by ISH for n-cad after the indicated treatments. Scale bar = 70 μm. f qPCR for n-cad from blastula control embryos versus embryos expressing Cx53Tail (nControl: 89, nCx43-20k: 95 embryos, N = 4) and g % of blastula embryos expressing N-cadherin mRNA analyzed by ISH (nControl = 62, nCx43-20k = 85 embryos, N = 4). h qPCR for n-cad of st24 embryos (nfrom-left-to-rigth = 120, 118, 92, 86, 78, 92 embryos, N = 4). i St24 embryos showing neural crest migration by ISH of twist; arrowheads: normal migration, brackets: impaired migration, asterisk: eye. j % of embryos with normal neural crest migration as analyzed by twist ISH of st24 embryos (nCMO = 115 and N = 6, nCxMO = 116 and N = 6, nCxMO+FL = 124 and N = 5, nCxMO+Trun = 145 and N = 4, nCxMO+Cx43-20k = 156 and N = 5). k Dorsal view of St24 embryos analyzed for ISH of n-cad; arrows indicate injected side and black dotted area the neural crest. l % n-cad expressing embryos st24 (nCMO = 42 and N = 6, nCxMO = 42 and N = 6, nCxMO+FL = 13 and N = 4, nCxMO+Trun = 15 and N = 4, nCxMO+cx43-20k = 19 and N = 4). Scale bars in i and k = 60 μm. Histograms in g, h, j, and l represent mean ± SE (one-way ANOVA p < 0.001; two-tailed t test p** < 0.01, p* < 0.05) n.s. nonsignificant. Dots in f show the spread of data and lines represent median ± interquartile (Mann Whitney test p** < 0.01). N number of independent experiments; n sample size. Spread of data in bar charts is shown as overlying dots