N-cad function is crucial for lodgment but not homing of HSPCs. (A) Effect of N-cad shRNAs on homing of HSPCs to the BM and spleen after BMT. The percentage of GFP⁺ cells in the BM (left panel) and the spleen (right panel) 36 hours after BMT versus before BMT are shown. Data are mean ± SD (n = 3 per group) from 2 independent experiments. (B) Effects of N-cad shRNA on the lodgment of HSPCs. Percentages of GFP⁺ bone-adhering cells to total GFP⁺ cells in BM are shown. A total of 681 cells (scramble), 623 cells (shN-cad-1), and 597 cells (shN-cad-2) from 2 independent experiments were counted. Data are mean ± SD. *P < .01. (C) Rescue of lodgment by sil.mut.N-cad expression. LSK cells were cotransduced with shN-cad-1 and sil.mut.N-cad. Scramble-shRNA, shN-cad-1⁻/sil.mut.N-cad⁺, shN-cad-1⁺/sil.mut.N-cad⁻, and shN-cad-1⁺/sil.mut.N-cad⁺ cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated mice. Thirty-six hours after BMT, the number of GFP⁺ bone-adhering cells was counted. Percentages of GFP⁺ bone-adhering cells to total GFP⁺ cells in BM are shown. A total of 278 cells (scramble), 191 cells (shN-cad-1⁻/sil.mut.N-cad⁺), 296 cells (shN-cad-1⁺/sil.mut.N-cad⁻), and 301 cells (shN-cad-1⁺/sil.mut.N-cad⁺) were counted. Data represent mean ± SD. *P < .01. **P < .05.