α3β4-myc nAChRs localize to the apical cell surface and colocalize with F-actin and Arp3.

<p>Monolayers of Caco-2 cells expressing α3β4-myc nAChRs were fixed, surface labeled with anti-myc antibodies, permeabilized, and colabeled with anti-α-catenin (A), Alexa-488 phalloidin (B), and anti-Arp3 (C) antibodies. A) Deconvoluted confocal images of the basal and apical regions of polarized Caco-2 cells show localization of α-catenin on the basolateral cell membrane while α3β4-myc is exclusively localized to the apical cell surface. B) Deconvoluted confocal images of the basal and apical regions of polarized Caco-2 cells colabeled with Alexa-488 phalloidin show localization of F-actin in both the basolateral and apical cell surface. Higher magnification images of the apical cell surface show colocalization of α3β4-myc nAChRs with F-actin (arrowheads). C) Deconvoluted confocal images of the apical region of Caco-2 cells show colocalization of α3β4-myc nAChRs with Arp3 (arrowheads). Scale bar in A and B, 5 µm; scale bar in B higher magnification and in C, 1 µm.