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Fig. 7. Depletion of E-cadherin in the non-neural ectoderm leads to increased thickness and number of cell layers in the epidermis, and to reduction of phosphorlyated myosin light chain in the non-neural ectoderm cells. (A-C) Transverse sections of control and E-cadherin-depleted epidermis at st. 19. The epidermis is thicker and contains increased numbers of cell layers after E-cadherin depletion. Red, MO-injected cells; green, F-actin; EN, endoderm; ME, mesoderm; EC, ectoderm. Thickness is quantitated in C. ***Statistically significant difference in thickness of ectoderm between control and E-cadherin-depleted ectoderm (P<0.001). (D,E) En face views of the non-neural ectoderm in control (D) Xenopus embryos, and in embryos with a large clone of E-cadherin-depleted cells (E). Green, P-MLC; red, E-cadherin. The cells that lack E-cadherin also have reduced levels of P-MLC. Asterisk indicates MO-containing cells. (F,G) Transverse sections through embryos from the same experiment. P-MLC is distributed on all surfaces of the non-neural ectoderm cells in controls (F), but only remains apically in E-cadherin-depleted cells (G). White arrowheads indicate P-MLC on lateral cell membranes; arrows indicate apical P-MLC. Scale bars: 50 μm in A,B,F,G; 100μ m in D,E. |
