|
In a second project, we collaborated with Morla to address the role of Ang-1 in angiogenesis. In addition to its role in signaling through the Tie2 receptor, we reported evidence that Ang-1 may also function as an ECM molecule, promoting adhesion of endothelial cells.59 To identify the peptide ligand within the Ang-1 primary sequence that is responsible for adhesion, we prepared a peptide array from overlapping sequences of the protein. We found that cells attached only to a single peptide in the array and determined a consensus binding sequence for the ligand. An affinity purification from mouse spleen extracts has identified a cell-surface receptor for this ligand. This example reveals how the tailored substrates can be used to identify new ligand and receptor candidates for further study in cell adhesion.
|
