Figure 5: PlexA mediates uncoupling of F-actin and adherens junctions.

(a) In control discs the round cells with intense GFP signals have pronounced accumulation of F-actin at 6 h.p.w. In PlexA RNAi discs, these cells have less accumulation of F-actin. White arrows indicate examples of round cells with intense GFP fluorescence. Data are representative of more than 10 images. (b) The round cells with intense GFP signals have actin rings around them at 6 h.p.w. (c) Extruded cells by ectopic expression of PlexA have actin rings around them (indicated with white arrows). Data are representative of more than five images. (d) Ratiometric analysis shows that cells with elevated PlexA have more F-actin uncoupled with adherens junctions compared with the surrounding cells. (e) FRAP analysis of cadherin–GFP in the pupal notum at 13 APF. PlexA RNAi inhibits fluorescence recovery of cadherin–GFP after photobleaching compared with control. Error bars represent s.e.m. (ctrl: n=20, PlexA RNAi: n=18). Right pictures show the process of photobleaching and kymographic analyses. Scale bars, 50 μm (a,c), 10 μm (b,d) and 5 μm (e).