Effects of extracellular matrix elements on pseudopodial activity of rat keratinocytes

Effects of extracellular matrix elements on the migration activity of keratinocytes have been studied in the primary culture obtained from newborn rats. Collagen of type I, matrigel, its fractions and the matrix produced by fibroblasts were used as substrata for cultivation. A method of migration activity estimation using latex spheres 0.8 mkm in diameter was first used. We have revealed that keratinocytes from the primary culture do not migrate on matrigel and fibroblast matrix, though displaying some pseudopodial activity. This activity dramatically increases on type I collagen, and a weak migration ability appears correlating with a particular structure of the actin cytoskeleton, i.e. with the appearance of special lamellopodia-connected filopodia.