E-cadherin overexpression delays wound closure. (A and B) Epidermal cells in embryos expressing wild-type levels of E-cadherin (endo–E-cad:GFP) or overexpressing E-cadherin (UAS–E-cad:GFP). Time after wounding is shown. Red lines indicate wound sites. Anterior left, dorsal up. Bars, 5 µm. (C) Mean wound area over time in embryos expressing wild-type levels of E-cadherin (blue; n = 7) or overexpressing E-cadherin (red; n = 8). (D and E) Relative E-cadherin fluorescence in cell interfaces with respect to the counterstain (Dlg; D) and wound closure rate for the fast phase of wound repair (E) in stage 14–15 embryos expressing endo–E-cadherin:GFP (endo; n = 5), ubi–E-cadherin:GFP (ubi; n = 5), or UAS–E-cadherin:GFP driven by tubulin-Gal4 (UAS; n = 5). (F–H) Kymographs showing the redistribution of E-cadherin:GFP along cell interfaces at the wound margin in embryos expressing endo–E-cadherin:GFP (F), ubi–E-cadherin:GFP (G), or UAS–E-cadherin:GFP (H). Anterior left, dorsal up. Bars, 30 s. (I) Percentage of decrease in E-cadherin:GFP fluorescence from interfaces at the wound margin 15 min after wounding in embryos expressing endo–E-cadherin:GFP (n = 23 interfaces), ubi–E-cadherin:GFP (n = 32 interfaces), and UAS–E-cadherin:GFP (n = 20 interfaces). Error bars, SEM; *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001.