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Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Experimental Models for Study of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Physiology and Pathophysiology
Published on: November 6, 2010
Retinal pigment epithelial cell behavior is modulated by alterations in focal cell-substrate contacts
Jung-Min Lim1, Sangwon Byun, Seok Chung
1School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Korea.
Purpose:
To investigate how the cellular behavior of cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells was affected by the manipulation of early focal contact.
Methods:
To manipulate early focal contact, a reduced focal cell-substrate contact area on the micropatterned surfaces was implemented by microfabrication with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The micropatterned PDMS surfaces had a circular pillar with a diameter of 5 microm. The human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19, was seeded onto the fibronectin-coated PDMS surfaces. Cell adhesion, growth, cell cycle, morphology, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression were observed for 3 weeks.
Results:
The fluorescent images of localized vinculin and actin stress fibers appeared to be more prominent on smooth PDMS surfaces. Although there was no significant effect on cell adhesion, a statistically significant inhibition of cell cycle progression was observed for micropatterned PDMS surfaces. Similarly, micropatterned surfaces showed significantly less cell growth than that of smooth surfaces. Cultures over a period of 3 weeks showed a distinct cell-cell phenotype discrepancy. Furthermore, IL-6 mRNA and secreted protein induced by IL-1beta in ARPE-19 were downregulated on micropatterned PDMS surfaces.
Conclusions:
Disturbed focal contact in ARPE-19 cells grown on micropatterned surfaces altered cell cycle, growth, morphology, and the expression of IL-6 in vitro.
