MUSSEL-ADHESIVE PROTEIN: A SUBSTRATE FOR CELLS IN VITRO

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Within recent years, it has become recognized that many of the problems experienced in initiating cell cultures in vitro with low seeding densities or newly isolated cells are substrate-related. Specifically, studies have found that many of these problems stem from inadequate surface properties found with plastic and glass tissue culture surfaces, and lower than optimal levels in nutritive media of serum proteins specialized in promoting cell adhesion in vivi. When these molecules (fibronectin, laminin, collagen) or related proteins (gelatin, poly-d-lysine) are added to media, cell attachment and metabolism improve. Recently, a protein (mussel-adhesive protein - MAP) has been isolated from the marine mussel, Mytilus edulis, that appears to have great potential for use as an attachment factor for cells in vitro. It is biocompatible, has high tensile strength, and acts as a cement to secure M. edulis to a variety of substrates in its habitat. In addition, preliminary studies indicate that cell attachment is enhanced in the presence of MAP in vitro. As a result, the experiments within this proposal are designed as a basic study to evaluate the potential of MAP in cell adhesion. Multiple cell types will be plated on MAP and compared to conventional factors by parameters including attachment efficiency and rate, morphology and possible cytotoxicity.