Membrane fluidity of Chinese hamster ovary cells on plasma fibronectin-coated microcarriers. A spin label study

Purified plasma fibronectin promotes the spreading of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells on microcarriers in a serum-free medium. The promotion of 50% of cell spreading on microcarriers requires about 3.4 X 10(8) fibronectin molecules per bead. CHO cells spreading on plasma fibronectin-coated microcarriers had a more rigid cell membrane compared to CHO cells in suspension as determined by using 5-doxylstearate spin label. No detectable differences in the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of 12-doxylstearate spin-labeled CHO cells on plasma fibronectin-coated microcarriers and in suspension were observed, suggesting that the effects of plasma fibronectin on membrane fluidity are restricted to the polar head group region of the cell surface membrane. In addition, no significant differences in membrane fluidity and cell spreading were found between CHO cells spreading on plasma fibronectin-coated cytodex 1 (without denatured collagen) and cytodex 3 (with denatured collagen) microcarriers, indicating that a surface layer of denatured collagen is not required for plasma fibronectin to promote cell spreading and to rigidify the cell surface membrane.