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Fig. 7. Synchronisation of periodic Ca²⁺_[i] oscillations between myofibroblasts implies adherens junction coupling, cell contraction and MS channels. Spontaneous Ca²⁺_[i] oscillations in cultures of Fura-2-loaded myofibroblasts (A,C,E) and fibroblasts (B,D,F) were compared between contacting cells that were preselected for exhibiting coordinated periods. The corresponding Fura-2 Em₃₄₀/Em₃₈₀ ratios of two contacting cells are shown in supplementary material Fig. S3. (A,B) adherens junctions were disassembled by adding a mixture of anti-N- and anti-OB-cadherin peptides at 0.5 mg/ml for 45 minutes. (C,D) Cell contraction was inhibited by adding 1 mM BDM. (E,F) MS channels were inhibited by adding 300 µM Gd³⁺. All matched period pairs are reported above the diagonal before addition of the drug and below the diagonal after addition of the drug. The mean of all period pairs obtained from two contacting cells is represented by the centre of an ellipse of which semi-major and semi-minor axes indicate s.d.; each cell pair is represented by one colour. Note that ellipses become larger and more distant from the diagonal in myofibroblasts upon drug treatment, indicating uncoupling of Ca²⁺_[i] oscillations after inhibition of adherens junctions, of contraction and of MS channels.

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