Fig. 4. Dystroglycan topography in response to laminin-1. Schwann cells were incubated with 2 µg/ml of laminin-1 for 8 hours with (g,h,i) and without (d,e,f) anti-ß1 integrin blocking antibody. Schwann cells incubated in the same media but without exogenous laminin-1 shown as control (a,b,c). Non-permeabilizing fixation conditions were used. (a,b,c) In the absence of laminin, dystroglycan was distributed along the Schwann cell surface in a fine punctuate pattern. The level of endogenous laminin immunostaining was negligible. (d,e,f) Surface dystroglycan was observed to be distributed into focal areas on cell surface following 8 hours of incubation with laminin-1. Cell borders are indicated with lines (determined from the corresponding phase images) to aid in the analysis of dystroglycan rearrangement. Laminin distribution from the corresponding area is shown. Merged image reveals zonal co-localization of dystroglycan with the reticular structures of laminin. (g,h,i) In the presence of ß1-integrin blocking antibody, which blocks formation of fibrillar matrix, laminin and dystroglycan co-localization is now seen almost exclusively within plaque-like reticular matrices. Bar, 10 µm.

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