Ferland Louis H. (ferlandl at ERE.UMontreal.CA) gibbered:
} When I was a student, I was taught the main factor here is that serum is
} quite rich in protein and quenches the trypsin.
Quite so.
} [Ca2+] whether it inhibits trypsin, but I do know that it is required
for the
} integrity of desmosomes, structures involved in cell-cell cohesion. That
Ahem. There are also focal contacts in cultured cells, where the actin
cytoskeleton connects to the extracellular matrix via integrins. This
interaction is divalent-cation (Mg2+ particularly) dependent. EDTA
chelates Mg2+.
For more info on focal contacts/adhesions, see my thesis at the molbiol
page given in my .sig. Alberts also has a reasonably nice section on
them.
Richard
--
Richard P. Grant University of Oxford
Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~lady0266http://www.molbiol.ox.ac.uk/~rgrant
------------------- hit any user to continue -----------------------