Retraction of: J. Cell Sci.118, 243-252.

Journal of Cell Science was contacted by a reader who alerted us to potential band duplication and manipulation in Fig. 3B, Fig. 4A,B and Fig. 5B in this paper. We contacted the corresponding author, Dr Azza El-Remessy, but she was unable to provide us with a satisfactory explanation. We therefore referred the matter to the institutes at which the research was performed by Dr El-Remessy, University of Georgia and Augusta University (formerly Georgia Regents University), for investigation.

A joint investigatory committee between the two institutes, as well as the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where Dr El-Remessy has additional appointments, concluded that Dr El-Remessy committed research misconduct by falsification or fabrication in the above-named article. Specifically, evidence of direct and mirrored duplication or band substitution was detected in Fig. 3B, Fig. 4A,B and Fig. 5B.

These findings undermine the integrity of the presented findings, and Journal of Cell Science is therefore following the recommendation of the committee to retract this article.