However, 1 h post-infection with bacterial strains, VE-cadherin labelling presented a diffuse and discontinuous pattern (Fig. 2Ac-f) with rupture points, showing a clear pattern of disruption of cell-cell junctions, and damage to the integrity of the endothelial monolayer under shear stress (Fig. 2Ad-f), mainly with the S. agalactiae GBS90356WT strain (Fig. 2Ad). This evidence concerns the gene CDH5 and infection.