Role of alpha(V) integrins in mesangial cell adhesion to vitronectin and von Willebrand factor

This study demonstrates (by flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation after cell surface radiolabeling and by using monoclonal antibodies to alpha(v), beta(3), and alpha(v) beta(3) and alpha(v) beta(5) complexes) that alpha(v) beta(3), the vitronectin receptor, and alpha(v) beta(5) are expressed in vitro on cultured human mesangial cells (HMC) of the 5th to 8th passages. Antibodies to alpha(v), beta(3) and alpha(v) beta(3) respectively precipitated an alpha beta heterodimer with molecular weights of 140 and 97 kDa. We analyzed the role of the various integrins in HMC interactions with vitronectin, and with fibronectin and von Willebrand factor (vWf), which are synthetized respectively by mesangial and endothelial cells. Cell adhesion increased in a dose dependent manner with the concentration of plastic-coated matrix protein and vWf. Inhibition of cell attachment with monoclonal antibodies to integrins indicated that HMC adhesion to vWf primarily involves alpha(v) beta(3) and that alpha(v) beta(5), may also contribute to cell binding to vWf. Adhesion to vitronectin involves both alpha(v) beta(3) and alpha(v) beta(5) complexes. In contrast, adhesion to fibronectin was not affected by monoclonal antibodies to alpha(v) beta(3) and alpha(v) beta(5) complexes. We propose that integrins alpha(v) beta(3) and alpha(v) beta(5), present on HMC, could mediate an interaction between mesangial and endothelial cells by binding to vWf, released at the basal site of endothelial cells.