Figure 4
From: Consecutive entosis stages in human substrate-dependent cultured cells
Formation of intercellular junctions between inner and outer cells. (a,b, top) Representative phase-contrast micrographs. (a,b, bottom) Confocal laser scanning (a) and fluorescence (b) images of staining with anti-β-catenin antibodies of entotic cells in A431 (a) and MCF7 (b) cultures show disappearance of adhesive junctions between the inner (IC) and outer (OC) cells during entosis. Note a single thick β-catenin-positive band between the membranes of IC and entotic vacuole (EV) at stage I, two bands of β-catenin along the periphery of IC and EV at stage II, and absence of β-catenin staining in the EV area at the later entosis stages. N, nucleus. Dashed arrow, IC plasma membrane; arrow, EV membrane. (c,d) Desmosomes formed between IC and OC are disassembled during entosis. (c) Confocal laser scanning micrograph of entotic cell stained with anti-plakoglobin antibodies (stage I) demonstrates the presence of numerous desmosomes between the IC and OC over the whole periphery of IC. (d) Transmission electron micrographs of desmosomes between IC and OC (stage II). Individual desmosomes are located at the terminal ends of the plasma membrane protrusions. Panel (ii) is a magnified view of the boxed area in panel i.
