E-cadherin knockdown causes mitotic spindle disorientation in the immortalized prostate cell line RWPE-1.

(A) The cartoon illustrates different division modes of epithelial cells. The green lines are α-tubulin-GFP marked spindles and the red crosses depict H2B-RFP labeled chromosomes. (B) The efficiency of E-cadherin knock-down is confirmed by Western blotting. (C) The cartoon illustrates how the mitotic spindle angle of cultured RWPE-1 cells relative to the retronectin-coated dish bottom is measured. (D) Representative confocal images of α-tubulin-GFP marked spindles and H2B-RFP labeled chromosomes from control or E-cadherin knockdown RWPE-1 cells in different cell cycle phases (Scale bars are 20μm). (E) Quantification of metaphase and telophase spindle angles indicated that E-cadherin knockdown causes a remarkable increase of RWPE-1cells with vertical or oblique mitotic spindle alignment in the telophase.