Question

You have isolated epithelial cells from mouse mammary glands and have grown them in a three-dimensional gelatinous matrix in the presence or absence of a specific inhibitor that targets a transmembrane metalloprotease. The protease is capable of cleaving cadherin near the base of its extracellular domain to release an N-terminal fragment containing the extracellular cadherin domains. The distribution of the cells in the matrix, as seen under a light microscope, one day after the transplantation of the isolated tissue is presented in the following schematic drawings. Which condition (1 or 2) do you think corresponds to the presence of the protease inhibitor?

Answer 1

Answer:

Response 1 is correct -

Cadherin can not mediate cell adhesion in the presence of protease since it was cleaved.

The protease is inactive and will not cleave cadherin in the presence of the protease inhibitor.

Therefore, cells react naturally in the presence of the protease inhibitor.