We have analyzed the interaction of the adhesive glycoprotein, von Willebrand factor (vWF), with native monomeric collagen monolayers by adsorbing acid soluble Types I and III collagen derived from calf skin to polystyrene microtiter wells and incubating the wells with purified human 125I-vWF. The binding of 125I-vWF was saturable, reversible, specific, and was abolished by heat denaturation of the collagen monomers. Binding was half-maximal at 5 micrograms/ml, and, at saturation, 7.5 ng 125I-vWF were bound to each microgram of immobilized collagen. 125I-vWF did not bind to wells coated with other extracellular matrix or plasma proteins such as fibronectin, fibrinogen, gelatin, or the q subunit of the first component of complement (C1q). In addition, bound 125I-vWF could not be displaced from collagen by the addition of either fibronectin or fibrinogen. After incubation with Factor XIIIa, plasma transglutaminase, 125I-vWF bound to collagen could no longer be displaced by vWF, which suggests covalent cross-linking of vWF to collagen monomers. Factor XIIIa-dependent covalent cross-linking of vWF to collagen, but not to fibronectin or laminin, was also demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate.