MMP-9 is important for dermal fibroblast adhesion and migration on the surface of C-SR.

<p>(A) Transwell results show that exogenously-added OPN and MMP-9 facilitated dermal fibroblasts migration (48 hours). (B) Zymography assay shows the MMPs activity of fibroblasts cultured on SR or different C-SR coated 6-well plate (48 hours). The difference was statistically significant when any C-SR was compared to SR (*p<0.05). (C) MMP-9 mRNA level in control dermal fibroblasts or in fibroblasts infected with MMP-9-shRNA or scramble-shRNA containing lentiviral particles. (D and E) Immuno-fluorescence results show that MMP-9 shRNA inhibited fibroblast adhesion and growth on the surface of C-SR and it was rescued by exogenously-added purified OPN (20 ng). *p<0.05 The difference was statistically significant when the substrate in group (MMP9 shRNA or MMP9 shRNA+OPN) was compared to the substrate in group (vector). ^#p<0.05 The difference was also statistically significant when the substrate in group (MMP9shRNA+OPN) was compared to the substrate in group (MMP9shRNA). These experiments were repeated three times, similar results were obtained each time. Bar = 20 µm. The cell adhesion test was performed six times, the data are expressed as mean ± SD (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098320#pone-0098320-g005" target="_blank">Fig. 5E</a>).