Nuclear shape ¾ a new cell geometry cue to regulate stem cell differentiation

       The latest decade has witnessed the progress in investigation of cell shape as a geometry cue to regulate stem cell differentiation. Parts of insights are shed by Ding group from China. See, for instance,

       Rong Peng, Xiang Yao, and Jiandong Ding*, Effect of cell anisotropy on differentiation of stem cells on micropatterned surfaces through the controlled single cell adhesion, Biomaterials, 32, 8048-8057 (2011)

       http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211008064

      Xiang Yao, Rong Peng, and Jiandong Ding*, Effects of aspect ratios of stem cells on lineage commitments with and without induction media, Biomaterials, 34(4), 930-939 (2013) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961212012033

    Xiang Yao, Rong Peng, and Jiandong Ding*, Cell-material interactions revealed via material techniques of surface patterning, Adv. Mater., 25(37), 5257-5286 (2013) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201301762/abstract

       Bin Cao, Rong Peng, Zhenhua Li, Jiandong Ding*, Effects of spreading areas and aspect ratios of single cells on dedifferentiation of chondrocytes, Biomaterials, 35, 6871-6881 (2014)

       http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961214005201

       Recently, this group reports that even the shape of a cell organelle like cell nucleus can serve as a cell geometry cue.

       Ding group observed self deformation of cell nuclei on micropillar arrays.

     Zhen Pan, Ce Yan, Rong Peng, Yingchun Zhao, Yao He, and Jiandong Ding*, Control of cell nucleus shapes via micropillar patterns, Biomaterials, 33, 1730-1735 (2012) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211013779

       In 2016, they further semi-quantified the extent of nuclear deformation, and found a first-order-like transition of nuclear deformation as a function of micropillar height under appropriate other dimensions:

          The deformation state maintained even after a long induction:

      Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can still be induced towards osteogenesis and adipogenesis on those micropillars. Nevertheless, the differentiation extents were found to be different from the normal relations observed on smooth surfaces with common shape of cell nuclei. Combined with other analysis, it is elucidated that shape of cell nucleus is a new strong cue to regulate stem cell differentiation.

       The article with Ms. Xiangan LIU, a Ph.D Student as the first author was published in Biomaterials at the beginning of October, 2016.

       Subcellular cell geometry on micropillars regulates stem cell differentiation

Xiangnan Liu, Ruili Liu, Bin Cao, Kai Ye, Shiyu Li, Yexin Gu, Zhen Pan, Jiandong Ding*, Biomaterials, 111, 27-39 (2016)

       Link：http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961216305245