Cultivation of fibroblast cells on keratin-coated substrata

By means of a cell culture method, the attachment and growth of mouse L929 fibroblast cells were studied on matrices of the (-SDS)- and (+SDS)-keratins, which were extracted from wool in the absence and presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively. The (+SDS)-keratin showed some toxic effect on the cell growth, but upon washing with a pH 7/phosphate buffer, the protein behaved similarly to a substratum of the (-SDS)-keratin. The comparative culture assay on the keratins, collagen (type I), and glass revealed that the keratins were more adhesive to the cells and more supportive for cell proliferation than the collagen and glass. The results were explained by an enhanced initial adsorption of mediator proteins from fetal bovine serum onto the keratin substrata.