Fibronectin Expression In Cells Research Articles

Impacto de la concentración de suero fetal bovino sobre las células epiteliales dentales

El esmalte dental, tejido más duro del cuerpo humano, es formado por medio de la diferenciación de células epiteliales conocidas como ameloblastos. Recientemente, las células epiteliales dentales de incisivo de rata han sido utilizadas como modelo celular de eventos fisiopatológicos durante la formación del esmalte dental. Sin embargo, en función de los eventos estudiados es meritorio comprender su comportamiento, particularmente cuando la concentración del Suero Fetal Bovino (SFB) varia. El propósito de este trabajo es evaluar el impacto de la concentración del SFB sobre el crecimiento, proliferación y supervivencia de las células epiteliales dentales. Células epiteliales dentales fueron cultivadas en DMEM/F12, en presencia y ausencia de SFB. Observaciones morfológicas e inmunohistoquímicos de la actina, vimentina y fibronectina fueron realizados. Los resultados permitieron constatar que la ausencia de SFB afectó negativamente la proliferación de las células epiteliales dentales, pero mantuvo una expresión optima de la actina y vimentina. Se identificó una alteración en la expresión de la fibronectina en las células tratadas en ausencia de SFB. En conclusión, la carencia de SFB disminuyo drásticamente la supervivencia, proliferación y expresión de la fibronectina en las células epiteliales dentales de rata.

Calreticulin Affects Fibronectin-based Cell-Substratum Adhesion via the Regulation of c-Src Activity

Calreticulin is an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-storage protein, which influences gene expression and cell adhesion. In this study, we show that calreticulin induces fibronectin gene expression and matrix deposition, leading to differences in cell spreading and focal adhesion formation in cells differentially expressing calreticulin. We further show that these effects of calreticulin occur via a c-Src-regulated pathway and that c-Src activity is inversely related to calreticulin abundance. Since c-Src is an important regulator of focal contact turnover, we investigated the effect of c-Src inhibition on cells differentially expressing calreticulin. Inhibition of c-Src rescued the poorly adhesive phenotype of the calreticulin-underexpressing cells in that they became well spread, commenced formation of numerous focal contacts, and deposited a rich fibronectin matrix. Importantly, we show that c-Src activity is dependent on releasable Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum, thus implicating Ca2+-sensitive pathways that are affected by calreticulin in cell-substratum adhesion. We propose that calreticulin affects fibronectin synthesis and matrix assembly via the regulation of fibronectin gene expression. In parallel, calcium-dependent effects of calreticulin on c-Src activity influence the formation and/or stability of focal contacts, which are instrumental in matrix assembly and remodeling.

Interleukin-6 negatively regulates Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbria-stimulated fibronectin expression in human gingival fibroblasts

Our previous study demonstrated that fibronectin (FN) is a negative regulator of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbria-induced pathogenesis in the initiation and development of chronic periodontal diseases. We show herein the regulatory action of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on FN expression in fimbria-treated human gingival fibroblasts. Interestingly, the decrease in FN expression in the cells treated with fimbriae at a high dose (8 μg of protein ml −1) was negated by treatment with anti-IL-6 antibody. Also, the increase in FN expression in cells treated with fimbriae at a low dose (1 μg of protein ml −1) was inhibited by exogenous IL-6. These results suggest that P. gingivalis fimbria-stimulated FN expression in human gingival fibroblasts is negatively regulated by endogenous IL-6.

Mutually exclusive expression of fibronectin and glial fibrillary acidic protein in cultured brain cells

The reported expression of the cell surface-associated, mainly mesenchymal glycoprotein fibronectin by cultured glial cells is in discrepancy with recent work on brain tissue failing to demonstrate any glial or neuronal fibronectin. We have investigated the expression of fibronectin in relation to glial fibrillary acidic protein in cultured human glial and glioma cell lines as well as in cultures derived from newborn rat brain. Using double immunofluorescence technique we found that cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein do not express fibronectin, and vice versa. The only exception to this rule was the occasional finding of fibronectin at points of cell-to-cell adhesion also in relation to cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein. The results were also tested by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the culture media of the human cell lines, and by subcultures from the brain of newborn rat, cultures stimulated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), and by vinblastine treatment of the cells. The lack of expression of fibronectin in cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein, a gliospecific cytoskeletal protein, is discussed with reference to glio-mesenchymal interactions and glial markers in vitro.