Cooperative effects of fibronectin matrix assembly and initial cell-substrate adhesion strength in cellular self-assembly.

ABSTRACT: The cell-dependent polymerization of intercellular fibronectin fibrils can stimulate cells to self-assemble into multicellular structures. The local physical cues that support fibronectin-mediated cellular self-assembly are largely unknown. Here, fibronectin matrix analogs were used as synthetic adhesive substrates to model cell-matrix fibronectin fibrils having different integrin-binding specificity, affinity, and/or density. We utilized this model to quantitatively assess the relationship between adhesive forces derived from cell-substrate interactions and the ability of fibronectin fibril assembly to induce cellular self-assembly. Results indicate that the strength of initial, rather than mature, cell-substrate attachments correlates with the ability of substrates to support fibronectin

SUBMITTER: Brennan JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4754160 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature