Controlling cell morphology on amino acid-modified cellulose

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Cell adhesion and spreading are critical for tissue regeneration and understanding cellular processes.
• Cellulose-based materials offer biocompatibility and tunable properties for biomedical applications.
• Surface chemistry modifications can significantly impact cell-material interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of amino acid-modified cellulose-based fibrous networks on fibroblast cell morphology and spreading.
• To explore the relationship between specific amino acid functionalization and cell behavior.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of enhanced cell adhesion on modified surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Esterification of cellulose-based fibrous networks with various amino acids (hydrophilic, aliphatic, aromatic).
• Analysis of amino acid coupling and surface distribution using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS).
• Microscopy-based evaluation of fibroblast cell morphology and spreading on modified substrates.

Main Results:

• Different amino acids (Gly, Ser, Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, Phe, Tyr, Trp) coupled to cellulose resulted in distinct cell morphologies.
• TOF-SIMS confirmed uniform distribution of coupled amino acids on the cellulose surface.
• Aromatic amino acids, particularly tryptophan, significantly enhanced fibroblast cell spreading.
• Enhanced cell spreading correlated with increased fibronectin adsorption on aromatic amino acid-modified surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Amino acid functionalization of cellulose fibrous networks is a viable strategy to control fibroblast cell behavior.
• Aromatic amino acids, especially tryptophan, promote superior cell spreading compared to other types.
• The enhanced cell adhesion is mediated by increased fibronectin adsorption, highlighting the role of surface chemistry in cell-material interactions.