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Geometric Determinants of Directional Cell Motility Revealed Using Microcontact Printing^†

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Amy Brock,^‡ Eric Chang,^‡ Chia-Chi Ho,^‡^§^‖ Philip LeDuc,^‡ Xingyu Jiang,^§ George M. Whitesides,^§ and Donald E. Ingber*^‡

Vascular Biology Program, Departments of Pathology & Surgery, Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Langmuir, 2003, 19 (5), pp 1611–1617

DOI: 10.1021/la026394k

Publication Date (Web): January 3, 2003

Section:

Biochemical Methods

Abstract

Mammalian cells redirect their movement in response to changes in the physical properties of their extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesive scaffolds, including changes in available substrate area, shape, or flexibility. Yet, little is known about the cell's ability to discriminate between different types of spatial signals. Here we utilize a soft-lithography-based, microcontact printing technology in combination with automated computerized image analysis to explore the relationship between ECM geometry and directional motility. When fibroblast cells were cultured on fibronectin-coated adhesive islands with the same area (900 μm²) but different geometric forms (square, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, trapezoid, various parallelograms) and aspect ratios, cells preferentially extended new lamellipodia from their corners. In addition, by imposing these simple geometric constraints through ECM, cells were directed to deposit new fibronectin fibrils in these same corner regions. These data indicate that mammalian cells can sense edges within ECM patterns that exhibit a wide range of angularity and that they use these spatial cues to guide where they will deposit ECM and extend new motile processes during the process of directional migration.

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This article has been cited by 20 ACS Journal articles (5 most recent appear below).

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