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Adhesion site composition of murine fibroblasts cultured on gelatin‐coated substrata
Author(s) -
Haas Robert,
Banerji S. Sheila,
Culp Lloyd A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1041200203
Subject(s) - fibronectin , gelatin , adhesion , extracellular matrix , cell adhesion , biophysics , fibroblast , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , fibronectins , in vitro , matrix (chemical analysis) , biochemistry , biology , chromatography , organic chemistry
Fibroblasts in vivo adhere to a collagenous extracellular matrix. We present here a combined morphological and biochemical analysis of the adhesion sites of fibroblast‐like cells cultured in vitro on gelatin‐coated plastic, for comparison with earlier model studies using serum (plasma‐fibronectin [pFn])‐coated plastic. Scanning electron microscopy shows that cell adhesion to the gelatin is quite similar to that on plastic, but with some morphological differences reminiscent of those caused by higher concentrations of fibronectin adsorbed to the substratum. Measurement using 125 I‐radiolabeled pFn shows the level of substratum‐bound pFn adsorbed from serum in the growth medium is, however, comparable on gelatin or plastic; thus, differences due to pFn must be attributed to the quality of the adsorbed protein, not its absolute quantity. Gel electrophoretic analysis of cellular adhesion sites formed on the two substrata shows their compositions to be qualitatively similar, suggesting again that the same fundamental adhesion processes are involved. However, three protein bands do change; notably, cellular fibronectin is increased on gelatin. These three proteins are also the most resistant to saline extraction, suggesting their intrinsic importance in the adhesion sites. The nature of the growth substratum thus appears to modulate a fundamentally unvarying morphology and adhesion site composition of the cells that adhere to it.