W e have studied the binding of von Willebrand factor to extracellular matrices of endothelial cells and to the vessel wall of human umbilical arteries in relation to its function in supporting platelet adhesion. CLB-RAg 201, an MAb against von Willebrand factor, completely inhibits the binding of von Willebrand factor to collagen type I and type III. CLB-RAg 201 does not inhibit the binding of 125I-von Willebrand factor to extracellular matrices of endothelial cells, to smooth muscle cells, or to the subendothelium. CLB-RAg 201 partly inhibits platelet adhesion to these surfaces, but this directly affects the interaction between von Willebrand factor and platelets and is not due to inhibition of binding of von Willebrand factor to these surfaces. Another MAb, CLB-RAg 38, does not inhibit the binding of von Willebrand factor to collagen. CLB-RAg 38 completely inhibits the binding of von Willebrand factor to extracellular matrices. CLB-RAg 38 inhibits platelet adhesion to cellular matrices completely insofar as it is dependent on plasma von Willebrand factor. CLB-RAg 38 does not inhibit the total binding of von Willebrand factor to subendothelium, as there are too many different binding sites, but it completely inhibits the functional binding sites for von Willebrand factor that support platelet adhesion. The epitopes for CLB-RAg 38 and 201 on the von Willebrand factor molecule are located on different fragments of the molecule. These results indicate that von Willebrand factor binds to subendothelium and matrices of cultured cells by a mechanism that is different from that by which it binds to collagen.