Effect of Patterned Surfaces of Adhesive Islands on the Shape, Cytoskeleton, Adhesion and Behaviour of Swiss Mouse 3T3 Fibroblasts

A pattern of circular islands of adhesive substratum can be used to control cell shape and behaviour. We have shown previously that the proportion of Swiss 3T3 cells that synthesize DNA varies with the area of the island to which they are attached, within the range 500–5000 μ m2. In this paper we investigate the cytoskeleton and adhesions of cells on islands using a variety of techniques including phalloidin staining and interference reflection microscopy. Islands of area 2000 μ m2 or less constrain cell shape, and cause focal contacts and actin microfilament bundles to accumulate in a circle at the margin. These changes are most obvious in islands of about 1000 μ m2, in which a complete ring of adhesion is sometimes formed in the periphery of the cell. This peripheral distribution is less common in cells on even smaller islands, and the focal contacts become smaller and less numerous. It is not yet clear whether any of these structural changes are associated directly with the proliferative stimulus due to contact with the substratum. However, we expect that the use of patterned substrata will contribute to the study of how cell shape and structure regulate many cell functions.