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. 1980 Jul;77(7):4108–4112. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.7.4108

Corrugated attachment membrane in WI-38 fibroblasts: alternating fibronectin fibers and actin-containing focal contacts.

C Birchmeier, T E Kreis, H M Eppenberger, K H Winterhalter, W Birchmeier
PMCID: PMC349779  PMID: 6933459

Abstract

The distributions of both fibronectin (LETS, CSP) fibers and focal contacts to the substratum, as viewed by fluorescence and reflection contrast microscopy, respectively, have been compared in freshly plated WI-38 human fibroblasts. Most frequently, the actual focal attachment plaques did not contain fibronectin fluorescence and, furthermore, fibronectin spots and fibers often alternated with focal contacts. Overlap, however, was observed between focal contacts and the endings of actin-containing stress fibers [see also Wehland, J., Osborn, M. & Weber, K. (1979) J. Cell Sci. 37, 257-273]. Thus, the fibroblast attachment membrane might best be described as a corrugated sheet that undulates between alternating microfilaments and fibronectin fibers, at the points of closest and farthest distance to the substratum, respectively.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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