Intercellular accumulation of type V collagen fibrils in accordance with cell aggregation.
We reported previously that human fibroblasts form clumps when cultured on a dish coated with reconstituted type V collagen fibrils. Essentially all the type V collagen fibrils, initially coated on the dish, were recovered in the cell clumps that had eventually formed during the culture. We interpreted that type V collagen fibrils adhere to cells more strongly than to the dish and are detached by cell movements. In this study, type V collagen was suspended with fibroblasts to examine the fate of the type V collagen fibrils and to determine whether the fibrils affect the behaviour of the cells directly adherent to the dish. The added type V collagen accumulated in the intercellular space concomitantly with the local aggregation of fibroblasts. scanning electron microscope examination indicated that type V collagen fibrils were found in the vicinity of cells in cultures without ascorbic acid where essentially no collagen secretion takes place. These results indicate that type V collagen forms fibrils and the fibrils are accumulated in the intercellular spaces. The accumulated type V collagen fibrils work as a cementing material for cell clump formation. This phenomenon is discussed in relation to the possible involvement of type V collagen fibrils in tissue organization.
Kihara
Takanori
T
Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
Imamura
Yasutada
Y
Takemura
Yukitoshi
Y
Mizuno
Kazunori
K
Adachi
Eijiro
E
Hayashi
Toshihiko
T
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024062:Collagen Type V / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice
D024062:Collagen Type V