Vinculin is required to maintain the actin cytoskeleton and the structure of the neuroepithelium. (A) Summary of actin-binding proteins (ABPs) associated with neural adherens junctions (AJs, CTNNB1[β-catenin]/CDH2 [N-cadherin]) detected by LS-MS/MS. ACTN4 (actinin-4), VCL (vinculin), CTNNA1 (α-E-catenin), CTNNA2 (α-N-catenin), CTTN (cortactin), and DBNL (Dbnl). (B) The scheme of the procedure followed in the experiments is shown in Fig. 1, C–J. The NTs of stage HH12 chicken embryos (48 h of incubation) were transfected for 48 h (to stage HH23) with vectors expressing the shRNAs designed to silence the different ABPs and GFP as a reporter of transfection; hpe, hours after electroporation. (C) Quantification of the percentage of sections with disorganized actin cytoskeleton after electroporation with the different shRNA vectors. Mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA plus Tukey’s multi-comparisons test, n = 6–76 sections from at least two independent experiments using three or four embryos per condition. (D–J) Phalloidin staining (actin, gray scale) of transverse sections of stage HH23 chicken NTs electroporated at stage HH12 for 48 h with the different shRNA vectors. GFP indicates transfection (green). Scale bar = 50 μm. (D′–J′) Plot profiles showing actin distribution along the apicobasal axis (relative actin fluorescence intensity) after electroporation of the different shRNAs. The profiles are shown all together in D′ plot, or individually with the control profile in the rest of the plots. Mean ± SD, n = 7 sections from two independent experiments using at least three embryos per condition. **** = P < 0.0001.