Fig. 3. Effect of VE-cadherin engagement on endothelial cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence images of co-cultures of endothelial cells and VE⁺ cells (A) and null cells (B) stained for VE-cadherin (VEcad), connexin 43 (Cx43), PECAM-1 or occludin. Each image shows portions of three cells within a monolayer, with an endothelial cell in the center contacted by another endothelial cell on the right and a VE⁺ cell or null cell on the left. Open triangles denote location of heterotypic contact; closed triangles denote location of homotypic endothelial cell contact. (C) Graph of percentage of endothelial cells entering S phase when co-cultured with null cells or VE⁺ cells in wells of 750 µm²/half. Error bars represent the s.d., with (*) P<0.05 relative to null cell co-cultures as calculated by Student's t-test.