_{>> CHO Epithelial Cells <<}

The lefthand image shows a small CHO cell group. The corresponding big image shows two neighbouring groups in the same culture plate. The group on the left is near the division phase in cell cycle. The cells are rounded while the cells of the group righthand are well spread. Individual CHO cells divide inside the cell accumulation. This induces swelling and local movement inside the growing cell groups.

Upon vital staining with Calcein dye and subsequent TIRF microscopy CHO cells reveal a characteristic adhesion pattern (middle). Long furrows are organized in parallel to form adhesion corrals. The corrals contact each other but do not intersect. Also zones with dots are apparent. The pattern is dynamic with the furrows being static structures embedded in an undulating environment. Enter the topic time lapse microscopy in the application section for an animation.

On the right dual colour fluorescence microscopy after a combined immunofluorescence - cytosceleton staining is shown. The red fibres contain f-actin stained with Phalloidin. the green dots are immunolocalized Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) proteins. It can be seen that the f-actin pattern imitates the TIRF fuurow pattern and that the actin fibre ends are pinned to the substrate by FAK accumulations. A possible interpretation: The furrows are stabilized by actin fibers and FAK pinning.

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