Collective cell migration on artificial extracellular matrix proteins containing full-length fibronectin domains

Abstract

The discovery of the cell-adhesive properties of the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence located in the tenth type III domain of fi bronectin triggered widespread use of RGD-functionalized materials for directing cell behavior. [ 1,2 ] In studies of cell adhesion and migration, however, cell responses on RGD surfaces are never identical to those observed on fi bronectin. [ 3 ] For example, we recently examined the attachment and patterning of Rat-1 fi broblasts on elastin-based artifi cial extracellular matrix (aECM) proteins bearing a fi bronectin-derived RGD sequence and found the average projected area of such cells to be approximately 60% of those spread on fi bronectin.