Fig. 4

UC-induced USC expressed gene and protein markers of tight junction markers 14 days after differentiation. Tight junction markers (E-cadherin and Cingulin, ZO1, ZO2) displayed on cell membrane boundaries between cells in the urothelially induced USC and UC, but not in USC, assessed by a real-time PCR, b Western blotting, and c immunofluorescent staining assessed under confocal microscope. Scale bar = 40 μM. d Tight junctions or desmosomes between neighboring cells in the induced USC and UC groups, but not in non-induced USC, examined by transmission electron microscopy. LM scale bar = 500 nm, HM scale bar = 100 nm. Notes: Foot numbers in graphs a and b represent (1) USC, (2) UC, (3) USC + UC/CM, (4) USC + EGF, (5) USC + SMC/CM. Abbreviations: USC = urine-derived stem cells, UC = urothelial cells, SMC = smooth muscle cells, CM = conditioned medium, UC/CM = urothelium conditioned medium SMC/CM = Smooth muscle cells conditioned medium EGF = epidermal growth factor. LM = low magnitude, HM = high magnitude