Differential structural requirements for the induction of cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation by the extracellular matrix.

The subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) mediates the attachment of both human Ewing's sarcoma and colon carcinoma cells. Attachment and flattening of the sarcoma cells was sensitive to heat treatment but not to periodate oxidation of the ECM, whereas the colon carcinoma cells attached and flattened over heated but not periodate-treated ECM. Such differential sensitivity to heat treatment and periodate oxidation was also observed using purified fibronectin and laminin, respectively, but the inhibition of cell attachment was greater than with a similarly treated ECM. It is therefore conceivable that fibronectin and laminin specifically mediate the attachment and flattening of Ewing's sarcoma and colon carcinoma cells to the ECM, but that other constituents may support this attachment either directly or via interaction and stabilization of adhesive glycoproteins in the ECM. The ECM-mediated morphological differentiation of adult rat oligodendrocytes was sensitive to periodate oxidation to a much higher extent than to heat treatment of the ECM. In contrast, both treatments had only a small effect on the ECM-induced proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. These results indicate that different constituents of the ECM may be held responsible for its effects on different parameters of cell behavior, and that various cell types respond differently to a given modification of the ECM.