Laminin oligosaccharides play a pivotal role in cell spreading.

The basement membrane glycoprotein laminin promotes cell adhesion, spreading and neurite outgrowth. We can uncouple cell adhesion and spreading (or neurite outgrowth) when unglycosylated laminin is used as a substratum. Mouse melanoma cells, B16F1 line, readily attach to unglycosylated laminin but fail to spread once adherent. Spreading can be restored by titration with glycosylated laminin or with laminin glycopeptides. When the laminin substratum is absent in the test chambers, the cells do not adhere when either intact laminin or its glycopeptides are then added. Analyses show that these added substances are recoverable from the culture medium and do not bind to the chamber surfaces. Use of selective inhibitors which interfere with carbohydrate processing yields several glycoforms of laminin which we have isolated and examined for their ability to support cell adhesion and spreading. Laminin which is enriched in high mannose oligosaccharides is much more effective in promoting cell spreading than laminin which is enriched in hybrid oligosaccharides. These results are consistent with earlier studies which showed that ConA, which primarily recognizes mannose residues, could also uncouple cell adhesion and spreading. Although mono- and disaccharides failed to restore cell spreading, we have found that addition of various mannose oligosaccharides to adherent cells effectively reestablishes their spreading behavior. The extent of cell spreading which is achieved by the added saccharides is related to their amount, their duration of addition, and their molecular structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)