title: Cell adhesion assays.
abstract: Cell adhesion makes an important contribution to the maintenance of tissue structure, the promotion of cell migration, and the transduction of information about the cell microenvironment across the plasma membrane. An ability to quantitate adhesion has proven to be extremely valuable for those researchers studying the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. This article will outline in detail two standard assays used for quantitating the adhesion of cells to an immobilized substrate. First, an attachment assay, which employs a colorimetric detection of bound cells, and second, a spreading assay, which employs phase contrast microscopy to measure the flattening of adherent cells.
authors: School of Biological Sciences (Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research), University of Manchester, 2.205 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT. martin.humphries@man.ac.uk
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Humphries
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003585:Cell Biology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D011485:Protein Binding