NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR , Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa 56127 , Italy.
Scuola Normale Superiore , Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56126 , Italy.
Interface Focus. 2014 Feb 6;4(1):20130047. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2013.0047.
Controlling and improving neuronal cell migration and neurite outgrowth are critical elements of tissue engineering applications and development of artificial neuronal interfaces. To this end, a promising approach exploits nano/microstructured surfaces, which have been demonstrated to be capable of tuning neuronal differentiation, polarity, migration and neurite orientation. Here, we investigate the neurite contact guidance of leech neurons on plastic gratings (GRs; anisotropic topographies composed of alternating lines of grooves and ridges). By high-resolution microscopy, we quantitatively evaluate the changes in tubulin cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology and in the neurite and growth cone development. The topography-reading process of leech neurons on GRs is mediated by filopodia and is more responsive to 4-µm-period GRs than to smaller period GRs. Leech neuron behaviour on GRs is finally compared and validated with several other neuronal cells, from murine differentiated embryonic stem cells and primary hippocampal neurons to differentiated human neuroblastoma cells.
控制和改善神经元细胞迁移和轴突生长是组织工程应用和人工神经元界面开发的关键要素。为此，一种很有前途的方法利用纳米/微结构化表面，已经证明这种表面能够调节神经元的分化、极性、迁移和轴突取向。在这里，我们研究了秀丽隐杆线虫神经元在塑料光栅（GR；由交替的凹槽和脊线组成的各向异性形貌）上的轴突接触导向。通过高分辨率显微镜，我们定量评估了微管细胞骨架组织和细胞形态以及轴突和生长锥发育的变化。秀丽隐杆线虫神经元在 GR 上的形貌读取过程是通过丝状伪足介导的，并且对 4µm 周期 GR 的响应比对更小周期 GR 的响应更敏感。最后，将秀丽隐杆线虫在 GR 上的行为与其他几种神经元细胞进行了比较和验证，包括来自鼠源性分化胚胎干细胞和原代海马神经元到分化的人神经母细胞瘤细胞。
