title: Patterning of sharp cellular interfaces with a reconfigurable elastic substrate.
abstract: Micropatterned cocultures are a useful experimental tool for the study of cell-cell interactions. Patterning methods often rely on sequential seeding of different cell types or removal of a barrier separating two populations, but it is difficult to pattern sharp interfaces between pure populations with low cross-contamination when using these approaches. Patterning by the use of reconfigurable substrates can overcome these limitations, but such methods can be costly and challenging to employ in a typical biology laboratory. Here, we describe a low-cost and simple-to-use reconfigurable substrate comprised of a transparent elastic material that is partially cut to form a slit that opens when the device is stretched. The slit seals back up when released, allowing two initially separate, adherent cell populations to be brought together to form a contact interface. Fluorescent imaging of patterned cocultures demonstrates the early establishment of a sharp cellular interface. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate the use of this device to study competition at the interface of two stem cell populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2715, USA. eehui@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2715, USA. eehui@uci.edu.
authors.forename: David J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6995-3454
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: DeVeale
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: Kento
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2715, USA. eehui@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Monica Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blelloch
authors.affiliation: Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Diana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Laird
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2715, USA. eehui@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Elliot E
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8286-9815
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D057005:Bioengineering; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004548:Elasticity; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology