Loss of adhesion of murine erythroleukemia cells to fibronectin during erythroid differentiation.

Uninduced murine erythroleukemia cells specifically attached to fibronectin-coated dishes but not to dishes coated with laminin or type I or IV collagen. Dimethyl sulfoxide-induced differentiation of these cells caused a dramatic decrease in adhesion to fibronectin that was correlated with synthesis of the erythrocyte glycoprotein "band III," a membrane marker of the differentiated erythrocyte. Loss or modification of fibronectin binding sites on the cell surface during erythroid differentiation may cause the release of reticulocytes from the interstitial matrix of bone marrow into the blood.