Stripe-micropatterned surfaces have recently been a unique tool to study cell orientation. In this paper, we prepared, by the photolithography transfer technique, stable gold (Au) micropatterns on PEG hydrogel surface...Stripe-micropatterned surfaces have recently been a unique tool to study cell orientation. In this paper, we prepared, by the photolithography transfer technique, stable gold (Au) micropatterns on PEG hydrogel surfaces with defined cell-resistant (PEG hydrogel) and cell-adhesive (gold microstripes) properties. 3T3 fibroblasts were cultured on Au-microstripe surfaces to observe cell adhesion and orientation. Five statistical parameters were defined and used to describe cell orientation on micropatterns. With the increase of inter-stripe distance, the orientational order parameter, the ratio of long and short axes of a cell, and the occupation fraction of cells on stripes increased gradually, whereas the spreading area of a single cell decreased. The abrupt changes of these four parameters did not happen at the same inter-distance. The adhesion ratio of a cell on Au stripes over cell spreading area did not change monotonically as a function of inter-stripe distance. The combination of the 5 statistical parameters represented well the cell orientation behaviors semi-quantitatively.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program(Grant No. 2009CB930000)Key Project of the Ministry of Education (Grant No. 305004)Science and Technology Developing Foundation of Shanghai (Grant No. 07JC14005)
文摘Stripe-micropatterned surfaces have recently been a unique tool to study cell orientation. In this paper, we prepared, by the photolithography transfer technique, stable gold (Au) micropatterns on PEG hydrogel surfaces with defined cell-resistant (PEG hydrogel) and cell-adhesive (gold microstripes) properties. 3T3 fibroblasts were cultured on Au-microstripe surfaces to observe cell adhesion and orientation. Five statistical parameters were defined and used to describe cell orientation on micropatterns. With the increase of inter-stripe distance, the orientational order parameter, the ratio of long and short axes of a cell, and the occupation fraction of cells on stripes increased gradually, whereas the spreading area of a single cell decreased. The abrupt changes of these four parameters did not happen at the same inter-distance. The adhesion ratio of a cell on Au stripes over cell spreading area did not change monotonically as a function of inter-stripe distance. The combination of the 5 statistical parameters represented well the cell orientation behaviors semi-quantitatively.
