Fibronectin fibril alignment is established upon initiation of extracellular matrix assembly

Abstract

Fibronectin (FN) fibril alignment is crucial for tissue function. We show that assembly of aligned fibrils is determined by the polarized localization of matrix assembly sites. Oriented sites progressed into aligned fibrillar adhesions and FN fibrils. TGF-b stimulated aligned FN assembly, providing a mechanism to modulate fibril orientation in vivo.