The elevator movement of the matrix cell is synchronous with the mitotic cycle. Its mechanism has been thought to be due to cyclic changes in cell adhesion to the neighboring cells and the basement membrane. The present study aims to analyze the cytoplasmic changes by means of immunohistochemical investigations of the distributions of the adhesion molecules, N-cadherin, a-catenin, bcatenin, F-actin, etc. It was found that the adherent junctions and junctions to ECM of the matrix cell disintegrate during mitosis, releasing the cell from the intercellular adhesions and the basement membrane. As a consequence, the mitotic matrix cell is rounded out and attracted to the ventricular surface where the junctional complexes remain unchanged during mitosis. After division, the daughter matrix cells recover their adhesion apparatuses and, extending their cytoplasmic processes, resume their downward elevator movement.