A scientist at a local chemical company in Rockville has discovered that if he c

Question

A scientist at a local chemical company in Rockville has discovered that if he coats tissue culture flasks with fibronectin, he can cause cells to all attach and grow better. He decided to market this idea and to make flasks that are pre-coated with adhesion molecules. Can this help in the growth and survival of cells such as skin cells? Why or why not? (2 points)



b. Would coating a plate with fibronectin be beneficial for all cell types in the body? Why or why not? (3 points)



c.How is it that most types of human cells in culture will adhere to plastic flasks manufactured with no protein coating? (2 points)

Explanation / Answer

A. Fibronectin is a high-molecular weight glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix that binds to membrane-spanning receptor proteins called integrins. In addition to integrins, fibronectin also binds extracellular matrix components such as collagen, fibrin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans.Fibronectin exists as a protein dimer, consisting of two nearly identical monomers linked by a pair of disulfide bonds. Thus Fibronectin plays a major role in cell adhesion, growth, migration and differentiation, and it is important for processes such as wound healing so it can be used efficiently and effectively for skin cell's growth and survival. B.Fibronectin coating will be beneficial for anchored dependent body cells only (i.e extracellular matrix dependent) eg.skin cells, muscles cells But not beneficial for blood soluble cells eg. RBCs. C. Adhesion, growth and differentiation of cells on a surface is cell-type specific and involves more than one mechanism. Many cell lines prefer surfaces with a high surface energy such as produced by electrical modification. Other cell types, such as primary neurons, require a specific interaction with functional groups provided by polylysine coating or chemical modification of the plastic surface.

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