Fig. 7. WASp knockdown in S2R+ and BG2 cells. (A) Immunoblots of WASp in extracts prepared from S2R+ (left) and BG2 (right) cells subjected to WASp RNAi for 4 days. WASp is reduced by 70-75% in both cell lines after dsWASp-treatment. Tubulin (Tb) is shown as a loading control. Morphology of cell population and actin distribution in WASp-depleted S2R+ (B) and BG2 cells (C) (phalloidin staining). Both cell types do not display changes in morphology compared with respective controls. (D) Morphometry of S2R+ (left) and BG2 (right) cells. WASp inhibition causes slight decrease in cell area, but does not significantly change cell shape. Gray bars represent controls, black bars show WASp-depleted cells; n=18 (S2R+ control), n=22 (S2R+ dsWASp), n=22 (BG2 control), n=21 (BG2 dsWASp). (E,F) Organization of actin filaments in protrusions of WASp-depleted S2R+ (E) and BG2 (F) cells (EM). No significant alterations in architecture of lamellipodia in both cells or filopodia in BG2 cells was observed. Magnification is the same in (B-C) and (E-F). Bars, 10 µm (B) and 1 µm (E).