Characterization of collagen binding lymphocyte membrane molecules.
Blood lymphocytes can adhere to two-dimensional collagen substrata. The lymphocyte plasma membrane contains 130 and 55 kd components with collagen-bindings capacity as well as high molecular weight collagen binding component (greater than 200 kd) pointing to the possibility that these molecules mediate lymphocyte adhesion to collagen. The 55 kd and the high molecular weight component also react with anti-fibronectin antibodies. Both the 130 kd and the 55 kd collagen binding components are present in lymphoid cell lines of T cell origin but the intensity of their expression varies. Under reducing conditions the 130 kd collagen binding components unchanged whereas the 55 kd component is increased to 66 kd.