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. 2021 Dec 1;17(12):e1009592. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009592

Fig 6. The level of intraepithelial GC is much lower than those on the luminal surface and/or in the subepithelia of the ecto- and endocervix.

Fig 6

Human cervical tissue explants were incubated with Pil+Opa+ and Pil+ΔOpa (MOI~10) for 24 h, with unassociated GC washed off at 6 and 12 h. Tissue explants were fixed, stained for F-actin, GC and DNA, and analyzed using CFM. (A) Shown are representative images of the ecto and endocervix. Scale bar, 10 μm. (B) The distribution of GC in cervical tissues was quantified by the percentage of GC fluorescent intensity (% GC FI) detected at the luminal surface (blue dash lines), within the epithelium (magenta dash lines), and at the subepithelium (yellow dash lines), relatively to the total GC FI in the entire area. Data points represent individual randomly acquired images. (C) The redistribution of F-actin was quantified by the FIR (±SEM) of phalloidin staining underneath individual GC microcolonies relative to the adjacent no GC luminal area. Data points represent individual GC microcolonies. (D) Shown are representative images of shedding cervical epithelial cells stained for GC, F-actin, and DNA. Open arrows, intracellular GC. Filled arrows, surface GC microcolonies with F-actin accumulation. Scale bar, 10 μm. n = 3 three cervixes. *p<0.05; **p< 0.01; ***p<0.001.