Endothelial cell adhesion to the fibronectin CS5 domain in artificial extracellular matrix proteins

This study examines the spreading and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on artificial extracellular matrix (aECM) proteins containing sequences derived from elastin and fibronectin. Three aECM variants were studied: aECM 1 contains lysine residues periodically spaced within the protein sequence and three repeats of the CS5 domain of fibronectin, aECM 2 contains periodically spaced lysines and three repeats of a scrambled CS5 sequence, and aECM 3 contains lysines at the protein termini and five CS5 repeats. Comparative cell binding and peptide inhibition assays confirm that the tetrapeptide sequence REDV is responsible for HUVEC adhesion to aECM proteins that contain the CS5 domain. Furthermore, more than 60% of adherent HUVEC were retained on aECM 1 after exposure to physiologically relevant shear stresses (⩽100 dynes/cm 2). Finally, the levels of thrombogenic markers (tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor–1) secreted by HUVEC monolayers on aECM 1 were found to be similar to those secreted by HUVEC monolayers cultured on fibronectin. These characteristics, along with the physical strength and elasticity of crosslinked films prepared from these materials, make aECM proteins promising candidates for application in small-diameter vascular grafts.