Fig. 5
Refilin B knockdown impairs microtubule formation in chondrocytes in response to substrates with different stiffnesses. a Western blot showing the protein changes of tubulins in chondrocytes by si-refilin B in soft/stiff substrates. b Quantitative analysis of refilin B and tubulin (a). Target proteins were quantified as a ratio to β-actin. Data are obtained from three independent experiments (n = 3). c Representative CLSM images showing the correlation between microtubule formation and cell spreading of individual chondrocytes on soft/stiff substrates by si-refilin B (n = 4). White arrows indicate microtubule morphology in the cytoplasm and cyan arrows indicate microtubule extension along the cell membrane boundary. d Quantitative analysis of microtubule number in the cytoplasm of individual chondrocytes. Results are based on 15 cells from four independent experiments. e Representative CLSM images showing microtubule changes in mitotic chondrocytes on soft/stiff substrates after si-refilin B treatment (n = 4). f Quantitative analysis of microtubule numbers at the center of the two nuclei in mitotic chondrocytes (boxed areas in (f)). The results were obtained from 11 cells in four independent experiments
