Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
09:14
Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
Innate non-specific cell substratum adhesion
William F Loomis1, Danny Fuller, Edgar Gutierrez
1Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America. wloomis@ucsd.edu
Plos One
|September 7, 2012
Summary
Dictyostelium cell adhesion to surfaces is not integrin-mediated. Instead, van der Waals forces between surface glycoproteins and substrata facilitate cell movement on surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cellular adhesion is crucial for force transmission in motile organisms.
- Dictyostelium discoideum cells exhibit rapid movement on diverse surfaces, distinct from mammalian cell adhesion mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying Dictyostelium cell adhesion to solid surfaces.
- To identify factors influencing cell-surface interactions in this model organism.
Main Methods:
- Inhibition assays using sugars and amino acids.
- Enzymatic treatment of cell surface glycoproteins with alpha-mannosidase.
- Analysis of cell adhesion to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.
Main Results:
- Cell adhesion was significantly reduced by the addition of sugars or amino acids.
- Cleavage of surface oligosaccharides with alpha-mannosidase decreased cell adhesion.
- These findings suggest a role for glycoproteins in Dictyostelium cell adhesion.
Conclusions:
- Dictyostelium cell adhesion to surfaces is mediated by van der Waals attractions between surface glycoproteins and the substratum.
- This mechanism of innate cellular adhesion may be a widespread, yet overlooked, property across various cell types.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions
Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pivotal to multicellularity and the coordinated functioning of tissues and organ systems. They enable physical interactions between cells and provide mechanical strength to tissues. They also function as receptors for signal transmission across the plasma membrane. The CAMs are broadly classified into four families - integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs (IgCAMs).
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...
01:20Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions
Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pivotal to multicellularity and the coordinated functioning of tissues and organ systems. They enable physical interactions between cells and provide mechanical strength to tissues. They also function as receptors for signal transmission across the plasma membrane. The CAMs are broadly classified into four families - integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs (IgCAMs).
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...
01:24Adherens Junctions
Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types – adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
01:31Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules
Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
01:24Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions
The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...