Fig. 3. Stimulation of cadherin with the NcadFc ligand activates p38 and induces Igf2 expression. (A) Schematic of the N-cadherin/Fc fusion protein (termed NcadFc ligand). (B) Western blot detection of phospho-p38 (pp38), phospho ERK1/2 (pERK1/2), total p38 and total ERK1/2 in myoblasts treated with extract from control Cos7 cells or NcadFc derived from transfected Cos7 cells. (C) p38 MAP kinase activity of myoblasts treated as in B; total p38 levels were determined by western blotting. (D) Northern blot analysis of Igf2 expression in myoblasts treated as in B; ethidium bromide staining of the 18S rRNA bands is shown as a loading control. (E) Igf2 P3 promoter luciferase reporter activity in C2 cells treated as in B. Igf2 promoter activity was expressed as a ratio of luciferase activity of the control secretion treated cells compared with NcadFc-treated cells; ^***P<0.001 compared with levels in the control. Western blot analysis of the lysates shows the GFP expression levels.