Thrombospondin (TSP), isolated from human platelets, promotes the in vitro, calcium-specific adhesion of a variety of cells, including platelets, melanoma cells, muscle cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and epithelial cells. The cell adhesion-promoting activity of TSP is species independent since human, bovine, pig, rat and mouse cells all adhered to TSP. Furthermore, the cell adhesion-promoting activity of TSP is specific and not due to a nonspecific protein effect or to contamination by fibronectin, vitronectin, or laminin. That is, neither bovine serum albumin nor TSP preparations treated with a monospecific anti-TSP antibody support cell adhesion. As analyzed by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and specific antibody binding assays, the TSP preparations used in these studies contained no detectable fibronectin or laminin and less than 0.04% vitronectin. The cell surface receptor for TSP appears distinct frcm that of fibronectin since an antiserum that blocks cell adhesion to fibronectin has no effect on adhesion to TSP. In addition, The platelet cell surface receptor for TSP appears distinct, frcm that of fibrinogen since thrcmbasthenic platelets adhere to TSP as well as control platelets. Antibodies to the GPIIb-GPIIIa complex block platelet adhesion to fibrinogen but have no effect on adhesion to TSP. Initial characterization of the cell surface receptor for TSP shows it to be protein in nature since cells treated with trypsin fail to adhere to TSP. In summary, our results provide the first clear evidence that TSP specifically promotes cell-substratum adhesion of a variety of cell types independent of the animal species. Our preliminary evidence suggests that the cell-surface receptor(s) for TSP is protein and that it is distinct for the receptor for fibronectin and fibrinogen. Our data suggest that TSP may play a central role in normal adhesive events mediated by platelets and other cells, such as those involved in hemostasis and wound healing. In addition, TSP may be involved in pathological adhesive events mediated by platelets and tumor cells, such as those involved in cardiovascular disease and tumor cell metastasis.
