Synthesis and evaluation of oligopeptide RGDS exhibiting cell-attachment activity

Summary Tetrapeptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), an amino acid sequence existing in the cell-attachment domain of fibronectin, was synthesized using improved solid-phase procedure. Cell-attachment activity of the RGDS toward L-929 fibroblast cells originating in mouse epithelia was examined by measuring (a) the number of cells attached onto RGDS-immobilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, and (b) the % inhibition of cell-attachment onto polystyrene substrate from suspension of the cells in the presence of RGDS molecules. It was found that (a) a number of cells attached to the RGDS-immobilized PVA films, and (b) RGDS molecules remarkably attached to the cells, and as a result, RGDS inhibited the cells to adhere onto the substrate.