Shear-Induced Fibrillar-Like Supramolecule of Plasma Fibronectin: A New Form of Fibronectin with Enhanced Activity in Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation

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Plasma fibronectin (FN) is synthesized by hepatocytes and secreted into the circulation in a soluble, compact and non-fibrillar form. However, intrinsic functions of FN in the body are prevalent to the multimeric FN fibrils. Plasma FN is assembled by cells or adherent platelets into functional fibrils. Reports have indicated that the process to incorporate FN into multimer fibrils can also occur in cell-free models in vitro by incubation with denaturants, reducing agents, or anastellin (FN peptidic fragment). Here, we report on (1) the formation of insoluble fibrillar-like supramolecules of plasma FN (FN fibrils) by exposing the molecules to increasing shear rates and (2) the functional characterization in platelet adhesion and aggregation.