N‐Cadherin, a novel and rapidly remodelling site involved in vasoregulation of small cerebral arteries

N‐cadherin formed punctate adherens junctions (AJ) along the borders between vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the pressurized rat superior cerebellar artery. The formation of N‐cadherin AJs in the vessel wall depends on the intraluminal pressure and was responsive to treatment with phenylephrine (PE) (10−5 m) and ACh (10−5 m). N‐cadherin‐coated beads were able to induce clustering of N‐cadherin‐enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) on the plasma membrane of isolated VSMCs, whereas treatment with PE (10−5 m) or sodium nitroprusside (10−5 m) induced a significant increase or decrease in the N‐cadherin‐EGFP clustering, respectively. Application of pulling force (∼1 nN) to the N‐cadherin‐coated beads via an atomic force microscope induced a localized mechanical response from the VSMCs that opposed the pulling.