Role of actin filaments and microtubules in the spreading of rabbit corneal epithelial cells on the fibronectin matrix.

The migration and spreading of the corneal epithelial cells adjacent to a wound is the first step in successful epithelial resurfacing. To understand the role of actin filaments and microtubules of the cytoskeletal system in the spreading of corneal epithelial cells, we plated rabbit corneal epithelial cells on a fibronectin matrix and studied the effects of cytochalasin B, which inhibits actin filaments assembly, and colchicine, which inhibits microtubules assembly, on the ability of individual cells to spread. Changes in the morphology of actin filaments and microtubules were also studied using immunofluorescent microscopy. The area of spread epithelial cells depended on the concentration of fibronectin used to coat the surface. In spread cells, stress fibers of actin filaments were evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, whereas microtubules were observed only at the perinuclear region. The presence of cytochalasin B during the cell attachment and spreading decreased the area of the spread cells more than did colchicine. However, once the epithelial cells were spread on a fibronectin matrix, cytochalasin B and colchicine each decreased the cell area only slightly, and to the same extent. These results indicate that formation of actin filaments is more important than formation of microtubules to the spreading of corneal epithelial cells.