Abstract
Although the roles of focal adhesion that adhere to the surface and sense cellular environment in order to regulate cellular behavior have been reported, the topographical effects of cell substrates on focal adhesion are not entirely understood. Here, we investigated the spatial property of focal adhesion when culturing on the substrates with microtopography. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with grid micropatterns fabricated by soft lithography were used as substrates for culturing cells. We found that on the grid micropattern 1μm high, focal adhesion complex were aggregated on the top surface of the grid, whereas they formed on the bottom areas of the substrate over the height of 2μm. On the other hand, focal adhesion sites were not changed by myosin II and the rigidity of substrates and actin filament formation. These results show that the location of focal adhesion formation on the grid micropatterned substrates is critically regulated by the height of topography.
