ATTACHMENT OF RAT HEPATOCYTES TO COLLAGEN AND FIBRONECTIN - STUDY USING ANTIBODIES DIRECTED AGAINST CELL-SURFACE COMPONENTS

Attachment of rat hepatocytes to collagen but not to fibronectin substrata was efficiently inhibited by antibodies against the hepatocyte surface. Further analyses of this inhibition suggested that hepatocyte attachment to collagen involves cell surface antigens which are not identical to membrane bound fibronectin or collagen. Rabbit antibodies against rat fibronectin inhibited hepatocyte attachment to rat fibronectin but not to collagen or rabbit fibronectin. After plasmin digestion of fibronectin, peptides were isolated that lacked affinity for collagen but could serve as a substratum for hepatocyte attachment. These results suggested that attachment to fibronectin does not involve membrane bound fibronectin or collagen. © 1979.