Biotecnologia e Biomateriais

Abstrato

An Artificial Silk-elastin-like Protein Suppresses Cells Adhesion without Apoptosis

Satoshi Somamoto and Yasuhiko Tabata

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of an artificial silk-elastin-like protein (SELP) on the adhesion and apoptotic behavior of cells. When MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on dishes coated with different concentrations of SELP, the cells adhesion was suppressed with the increasing coating concentration. As controls, the coating with fibronectin enhanced the number of cells adhered in the concentration dependent manner. The poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and agarose coating suppressed the cell adhesion. Elastin did not affect the cell adhesion behavior. The shape of cells cultured on the SELP, PVA, and agarose-coated dishes was spherical and spreaded cells were observed on the SELP- and fibronectin-coated ones. The level of caspase 3 and 9 was evaluated. The level was significantly high for the PVA- and agarose-coated dishes compared with non-coated dishes, whereas it was low for the fibronectincoated ones. The level was decreased with an increase in the concentration of SELP coated. The number of cells free of annexin V activity for the SELP group as low as that for the fibronectin group. The cell number was high for the PVA and agarose groups. The actin filaments were detected for the SELP-coated dishes, in remarked contrast to the PVA-coated ones. Pretreatment with the antibody of integrin αV or α5 significantly decreased the caspase 3 level for cells cultured on the SELP-coated dishes. It is concluded that the SELP has an unique property which allows cells to suppress their adhesion, but not to induce their apoptosis.