Neovasculature in kindlin-2^+/− mice is immature. Immunohistochemistry and image analyses of RM1 prostate tumors implanted into WT and kindlin-2^+/− mice. (A) Costaining for SMA (green) and CD31 (red; top panel) and for desmin (green) and CD31 (red; bottom panel) in tumors from WT and kindlin-2^+/− mice. Nuclei are stained with DAPI. Arrowheads indicate SMA-positive vascular structures. Scale bars, 150 μm (top panel) and 50 μm (bottom panel). (B) Quantification of the data presented in the bottom panel of panel A. (C) Laminin-stained blood vessels in tumors grown in WT and kindlin-2^+/− mice. Scale bars, 19 μm. (D) Thickness of laminin-positive basement membrane in microvessels formed in WT and kindlin-2^+/− mice. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM and are representative of 3 independent experiments including 6-8 mice per group as indicated. (E) Costaining for CD105 (red) and CD31 (green). Overlay of the images reveals increased percent of CD105-positive blood vessels (yellow fluorescence) in tumors grown in kindlin-2^+/− mice compared with WT mice. Scale bars, 150 μm. (F) Costaining for CD31 (red) and the pericyte marker, NG2 (green), shows reduced recruitment of pericytes and their interactions with blood vessels in tumors grown in kindlin-2^+/− mice compared with WT mice. Scale bars, 50 μm. Five to 10 independent fields per tumor were examined. The images are representative of 3 independent experiments including 6-8 mice per group.