title: Recapitulation and Modulation of the Cellular Architecture of a User-Chosen Cell of Interest Using Cell-Derived, Biomimetic Patterning.
abstract: Heterogeneity of cell populations can confound population-averaged measurements and obscure important findings or foster inaccurate conclusions. The ability to generate a homogeneous cell population, at least with respect to a chosen trait, could significantly aid basic biological research and development of high-throughput assays. Accordingly, we developed a high-resolution, image-based patterning strategy to produce arrays of single-cell patterns derived from the morphology or adhesion site arrangement of user-chosen cells of interest (COIs). Cells cultured on both cell-derived patterns displayed a cellular architecture defined by their morphology, adhesive state, cytoskeletal organization, and nuclear properties that quantitatively recapitulated the COIs that defined the patterns. Furthermore, slight modifications to pattern design allowed for suppression of specific actin stress fibers and direct modulation of adhesion site dynamics. This approach to patterning provides a strategy to produce a more homogeneous cell population, decouple the influences of cytoskeletal structure, adhesion dynamics, and intracellular tension on mechanotransduction-mediated processes, and a platform for high-throughput cellular assays.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Culver
authors.affiliation: §Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Byron L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: §Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Chenyue W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: §Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Jingzhe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: §Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Taylor F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Birk
authors.affiliation: §Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Amina A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Qutub
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.affiliation: †Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis
keywords: actin cytoskeleton; biomimetic; cell adhesion; cell arrays; cell engineering; cell patterning; cell population heterogeneity; cell population homogeneity; cell-derived patterning; image-guided patterning; laser scanning lithography; mechanotransduction; nanopatterning; self-assembled monolayers