Serum enhancement of human endothelial cell attachment to and spreading on collagens I and IV does not require serum fibronectin or vitronectin

Abstract

The initial attachment and spreading of endothelial cells from human umbilical artery onto type I collagen, type IV collagen or gelatin substrata was shown to be enhanced by inclusion of serum in the culture medium. To test whether this serum effect was mediated by adsorption of serum fibronectin or vitronectin onto the collagen, these adhesive glycoproteins were selectively removed from the serum prior to addition to the culture medium. The stimulatory effect of serum on human endothelial cell spreading on collagens I and IV was also observed with serum from which either fibronectin or vitronectin, or both, had been selectively removed. The stimulatory effect for cell spreading on gelatin was diminished by selective removal of serum fibronectin, but unaffected by removal of vitronectin. Human endothelial cell attachment and spreading onto tissue culture plastic was abolished by removal of vitronectin from the serum in the culture medium. These results emphasize that the native structure of collagens is required for serum-enhancement of human endothelial cell attachment and spreading on native collagen types I and IV, and show that on these substrata the stimulated adhesion and spreading are not dependent upon adsorption of serum fibronectin or vitronectin onto the collagen substratum.