Role in Cellular Adhesiveness

To determine if the air nuclei that can be trapped in the roughness of a synthetic material play a major role in cellular adhesion to the material, a series of experiments was conducted in which the air nuclei were removed before the material was exposed to a biological fluid. The biological fluids examined were blood, washed platelet suspensions and fibrinogen solutions. 

Properties and functions. Due to their high viscosities, the G. serve as lubricants and protective agents, e.g. against proteolytic enzymes, bacteria and viruses They play a role in cellular adhesion and contact inhibition of cell growth in tissue culture. They are also responsible for cellular recognition of foreign tissue. 

In the future we plan to clarify the role of adsorbed proteins and their influence on bacterial adhesion, involving studies with fibronectin which seems to play a key role in cellular adhesion processes. As the composition of the original polymer surface determines the nature of the adsorbed protein layer, it might be possible to modify the polymer surface in a way that proteins with antiadhesive properties are selectively adsorbed. Such an effect is known for albumin on platelet adhesion in a former study we could show that albumin is preferentially adsorbed onto radiation-modified hydrophilic surfaces. Bacterial adhesion to such surfaces is considerably reduced. 

Carbohydrates are key components of cell-surface glycolipids and glycoproteins, which play an important role in cellular functions such as cell adhesion, fertilization,... 

The evidence is increasing that glycosylation of integrins plays important modulatory roles in the function of these molecules. In other studies it appears that the glycosylation of at least one extracellular matrix glycoprotein, namely laminin, is important in cellular adhesion mediated by integrins. So far most information on the role of carbohydrates in integrin-mediated adhesive interactions has been obtained for the fibronectin receptors... 

AQPO, formerly known as the Major Intrinsic Protein of 26 kDa (MDP26), is specifically expressed in the plasma membrane of eye lens fiber cells. It transports water to a low degree, but has also been implicated in cell adhesion and gap junction formation. Its main role is to maintain the transparency of the lens by maintaining a tight cellular connection to neighboring cells and/or by controlling the fluid circulation. 

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