Fig. 2. Immunofluorescence staining of connexins in skin. Green fluorescence represents anti-connexin antibody (A to F) and red fluorescence (C and E) represents anti-ß-actin antibody. (A) Cx30.3 and (B) Cx31 both localised in the stratum granulosum of control epidermis. (C) Cx26 expression in the hair follicle (hf) and sweat gland (sg) of control skin (note that Cx26 is undetectable in normal interfollicular epidermis). (D) Cx30 expression was clearly localised at the plasma membrane of keratinocytes in the upper epidermal layers of control epidermis. (E) Cx26 expression in the sweat glands (sg) of skin from the KID patient heterozygous for the D50N mutation in Cx26 was comparable to that seen in control skin. (F) Interfollicular skin obtained from the HED patient heterozygous for the G11R mutation in Cx30 was stained by Cx30 antibody and revealed a sparse staining pattern with some protein detectable at the plasma membrane. An enlargement of the small, boxed area is shown. Asterisk indicates probable localisation of aggregated Cx30 protein at the plasma membrane in keratinocytes of the stratum granulosum. de, position of dermal-epidermal junction. Bar, 20 µm.