Fig. 5

Protocadherin-1 (PCDH1) knockdown in airway epithelial cells inhibits the formation of adherence junctions and tight junctions. Immunocytochemical analysis of E-cadherin (E-cad) (a) and zonula occludens-1 (b) in PCDH1-knockdown cells. Human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells were transfected with control (siCtl) and PCDH1-specific siRNA (siPCDH1_1). After 48 h, cells were subjected to immunocytochemical analysis with antibodies specific to E-cad (green) or PCDH1 (green). The images represent data from three independent experiments. a Colocalization of PCDH1 and E-cad. 16HBE cells were cultured for 3 days and stained with anti-PCDH1 and anti- E-cad antibodies. Expression of PCDH1 was mainly co-localized with E-cad at the apical site of cell junctions (upper panel); however, the expression level of PCDH1 was relatively low (lower panel). The images represent data from three independent experiments (c)