Lens epithelial cell adhesion to lens capsule: a model system for cell-basement membrane interaction.

Adhesion of calf lens epithelial cells to lens capsule, their natural basement membrane was found to be considerably more rapid than either to plastic or to type I or type IV collagen coated surfaces. No polarity of the basement membrane was observed as the cells were able to attach to either side of the anterior or posterior lens capsule; a prerequisite for adhesion to the lenticular side of the anterior capsule was the prior removal of its epithelial cell layer. The attachment was energy-dependent and required calcium and magnesium ions, but was not enhanced by the presence of serum. Neither exogenous fibronectin nor laminin was able to stimulate attachment or spreading of lens cells to the capsule even when the cells had been treated with cycloheximide. Since rapid adhesion and spreading takes place in this lens cell-lens capsule system without requirement of exogenous macromolecules, it provides a favorable model for investigating the determinants in epithelial cell-basement membrane interactions.