We have defined the homotypic interactions of fibrillin-1 to obtain new insights into microfibril assembly. Dosedependent saturable high affinity binding was demonstrated between N-terminal fragments, between furin processed C-terminal fragments, and between these Nand C-terminal fragments. The N terminus also interacted with a downstream fragment. A post-furin cleavage site C-terminal sequence also interacted with the N terminus, with itself and with the furin-processed fragment. No other homotypic fibrillin-1 interactions were detected. Some terminal homotypic interactions were inhibited by other terminal sequences, and were strongly calcium-dependent. Treatment of an N-terminal fragment with Nethylmaleimide reduced homotypic binding. Microfibrilassociated glycoprotein-1 inhibited N-to C-terminal interactions but not homotypic N-terminal interactions. These fibrillin-1 interactions are likely to regulate pericellular fibrillin-1 microfibril assembly.

We have defined the molecular basis of cell adhesion to fibrillin-1, the major structural component of extracellular microfibrils that are associated with elastic fibres. Using human dermal fibroblasts, and recombinant domain swap fragments containing the Arg-Gly-Asp motif, we have demonstrated a requirement for upstream domains for integrin-α5β1-mediated cell adhesion and migration. An adjacent heparin-binding site, which supports focal adhesion formation, was mapped to the fibrillin-1 TB5 motif. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed two arginine residues that are crucial for heparin binding, and confirmed their role in focal adhesion formation. These integrin and syndecan adhesion motifs juxtaposed on fibrillin-1 are evolutionarily conserved and reminiscent of similar functional elements on fibronectin, highlighting their crucial functional importance.

Fibulin-5 plays an important role in elastic fibre formation in vivo. We have investigated the molecular interactions between fibulin-5 and components of fibrillin-rich microfibrils which form a template for elastin. Fibulin-5 interacted in a dose-dependent manner with a fibrillin-1 N-terminal sequence and with tropoelastin, but not with MAGP-1 (microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1) or decorin. Fibulin-5 did not inhibit interactions between fibrillin-1 N- and C-terminal fragments, or fibrillin-1 interactions with tropoelastin. Fibulin-5 may provide a link between tropoelastin and microfibrils in the pericellular space during elastic fibre assembly.