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Substratum attachment of embryonic mesoderm cells in culture

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Summary

The cell-substratum adhesive characteristics of cultured chick embryo primary mesoderm cells have been examined by inteference reflection microscopy and transmission electron microscoy under various conditions. Correlations were drawn between the type of adhesion and the degree of motility shown by the cells. During the rapid spreading and motility of cells cultured on fibronectin-containing substrate, focal contacts (10 to 15-nm gap) were rare and close contacts (about 30-nm gap) were pedominant. By contrast, when the cells were immobile, after 5 d in cultue, extensive focal contacts were present, together with stress fibers. The results indicate that tight cell-substratum contact is incompatible with rapid cell motility and that fibronectin acts by inducing the formation of close contacts rather than focal contacts.

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  1. Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, T6G 2H7, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    E. J. Sanders

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  1. E. J. Sanders
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This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

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Sanders, E.J. Substratum attachment of embryonic mesoderm cells in culture. In Vitro 20, 521–527 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02639767

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02639767

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