KINETICS OF ADHESION AND SPREADING OF ANIMAL-CELLS

The adhesion and spreading of cells at surfaces are well-established p henomena which have been extensively observed using light or electron microscopy. The kinetics of both processes can be quantitatively measu red by allowing the cells to attach themselves to the surface of a pla nar waveguide. Measuring the effective refractive index of the wavegui de allows the number of cells per unit area and a parameter uniquely c haracterizing their shape, such as the area in contact with the surfac e, to be determined. Cells suspended in nutrient medium or pure phosph ate buffer were allowed to attach to and spread on a metal oxide surfa ce or a layer of fibronectin, and the kinetics of attachment and sprea ding have been measured. Attachment kinetics are the same in all cases , but spreading on the metal oxide requires nutrient medium, without w hich it does not occur. Spreading of cells attached to a layer of fibr onectin in the absence of nutrient medium occurs at about a tenth of t he rate of cells spreading on metal oxide in the presence of nutrient. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.