Fig. 6. Recovery from brief, local inhibition of contractility by ML-7 is associated with the repolymerisation of microtubules to peripheral adhesions and enhanced actin bundle formation. (A) A fish fibroblast expressing GFP-tubulin that was injected with TAMRA vinculin. The phase contrast image (left) indicates the region of application of ML-7 (ellipse) via a micropipette (chevron). The period of application was 3 minutes. Fluorescent images show video frames of the region of application at the time points indicated. One example from seven cells is shown. (B) A fish fibroblast was treated as in A but was transfected with GFP-calponin to highlight actin bundles. Arrowheads show peripheral bundles disassembling during application. Arrows indicate stress fibres enhancing during recovery. One example from eight cells is shown. (C) The retraction of microtubules from the cell edge on ML-7 treatment is caused by depolymerisation and not by bulk withdrawal of microtubules. A fish fibroblast expressing GFP-tubulin was photobleached in a narrow region across the base of lamella (arrow) and then exposed to local ML-7 application. Arrowheads indicate depolymerising microtubules in subsequent frames. One example from five cells is shown.