Fibroblasts Spread on Immobilized Fibrin Monomer by Mobilizing a β1-class Integrin, Together with a Vitronectin Receptor αvβ3 on Their Surface

Human and murine fibroblasts were found to spread far more avidly on fibrin monomer monolayers than on immobilized fibrinogen, indicating that removal of fibrinopeptides by thrombin is a prerequisite for the fibrin-mediated augmentation of cell spreading. In fact, cell spreading was not efficiently augmented on monolayers of a thrombin-treated dysfibrinogen lacking the release of fibrinopeptide A due to an Aα Arg-16 → Cys substitution. Since a synthetic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing peptide inhibited the fibrin-mediated cell spreading, subsequent dissociation of the carboxyl-terminal globular domain of the Aα-chains appears to render the RGD segments accessible to the cell-surface integrins. In support of this, fibrin-augmented cell spreading was inhibited by an antibody recognizing a 12-kDa peptide segment with γ Met-89 at its amino terminus, which is located in close association with the RGD segment at Aα 95-97 in the helical coiled-coil interdomainal connector. The fibrin-mediated augmentation of cell spreading was inhibited not only by an antibody against human vitronectin receptor (LM 609) but also by an antibody against the β1 subunit of integrin (mAb13), suggesting that the β1-class integrin together with a vitronectin receptor, αvβ3, is mobilized onto the surface of fibroblasts upon contact with the fibrin monomer monolayer. Human and murine fibroblasts were found to spread far more avidly on fibrin monomer monolayers than on immobilized fibrinogen, indicating that removal of fibrinopeptides by thrombin is a prerequisite for the fibrin-mediated augmentation of cell spreading. In fact, cell spreading was not efficiently augmented on monolayers of a thrombin-treated dysfibrinogen lacking the release of fibrinopeptide A due to an Aα Arg-16 → Cys substitution. Since a synthetic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing peptide inhibited the fibrin-mediated cell spreading, subsequent dissociation of the carboxyl-terminal globular domain of the Aα-chains appears to render the RGD segments accessible to the cell-surface integrins. In support of this, fibrin-augmented cell spreading was inhibited by an antibody recognizing a 12-kDa peptide segment with γ Met-89 at its amino terminus, which is located in close association with the RGD segment at Aα 95-97 in the helical coiled-coil interdomainal connector. The fibrin-mediated augmentation of cell spreading was inhibited not only by an antibody against human vitronectin receptor (LM 609) but also by an antibody against the β1 subunit of integrin (mAb13), suggesting that the β1-class integrin together with a vitronectin receptor, αvβ3, is mobilized onto the surface of fibroblasts upon contact with the fibrin monomer monolayer.