No abstract

SummaryThe kinetics of attachment of NIL B and SV-NIL cells to glass, siliconized glass, and surfaces coated with random copolypeptides have been studied. It was found that in the absence of serum proteins, neither the rate nor the extent of attachment of cells is affected by the nature of the surface. In the presence of bovine serum albumin, the total uptake and rate of attachment of both NIL B and SV-NIL cells to the neutral, hydrophobic, and negatively charged copolymers is decreased compared with attachment to the same surfaces in the absence of protein. In contrast, the attachment of NIL B and SV-NIL cells to the positively charged (lysyl) copolymers was not decreased in the presence of protein. It was shown that the effect of protein resulted from its adsorption to the surface rather than to the cells. It was also concluded that both the NIL €3 and SV-NIL cells consist of a single cell population with respect to adhesiveness, and that both cell lines reach a kinetic equilibrium with the surfaces. This work represents one of the first studies to vary copolypeptide compositions systematically from negatively to neutral to positively charged surfaces and to examine these substrates without any mediating effects from various serum proteins. The results of this study support the concept that while cells bind to an adsorbed layer of protein rather than directly to the surface, the underlying surface can modify the attachment process by its effect on the protein adsorbed.