The adhesion of bacteria is predominantly dependent on specific interactions between cell surface receptors and ligands in the host tissue. These interactions have been proposed to mediate microbial adherence to host tissues where the tissue location of the matrix protein may impose tissue specificity of the infection. The adhesion of various microbes to matrix proteins has been well studied under static conditions. However, in many cases, these interactions occur physiologically under dynamic shear conditions. Molecular Mechanisms of Platelet Adhesion.
Blood platelets play a crucial role in both hemostatis and thrombosis.
Intact blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, which under normal conditions prevent the interaction of platelets with the subendothelium. Upon injury to a blood vessel, endothelial cells lining the vessel are damaged thereby exposing the extracellular matrix to platelets. Platelets then adhere via specific membrane receptors to a variety of macromolecules in the subendothelium. This is the initial event in a cascade that leads to the formation of platelets aggregates to plug the site of injury and prevent the blood loss. A complex biochemical reaction cascade accompanies this process and culminates in clot formation.