Dynamics of Early Cell Spreading with Hyaluronan Glycocalyx*

Newly adhering cells in the extracellular matrix are enriched with hyaluronan glycocalyx, especially cells that have just completed cell division, a process during which hyaluronan synthase expression is increased. Yet, quantitative studies of early cell spreading have largely ignored the presence of glycocalyx. A puzzle remains regarding how receptor-ligand bonds are formed between integrins and the extracellular matrix in the presence of giant and densely-assembled hyaluronan molecules associated with the cell plasma membrane. In this study, we will compare the dynamics of isotropic spreading MCF-7 cells with and without glycocalyx during early cell adhesion.