Synthetic polymer scaffold changes pattern of cell adhesion and gene expression of primary cultured cortical neuron

Synthetic polymers including poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) are widely used as scaffolds for cell culture because they can support cell adhesion without releasing unknown proteins and chemical compounds. Cell adhesion property of a scaffold mainly depends on its surface features; however, it remains unclear how the cell culture environment with the scaffold affects cellular property including its gene expressions. In this study, we examined the influence of different surface features on mouse primary cultured cortical neurons using PLLA coated with poly-D-Lysine and Vitronectin nanosheets with or without groove processing. We cultured these cells on the nanosheets with/without groove processing for 9 days. Interestingly, cell adhesion pattern was regulated by vertically long groove processing, thereby neurite bundle along with the grooves only formed on grooved nanosheets. We then analyzed their gene expressions by conducting RNA sequencing and detected clear differences in expressions of genes related to postsynaptic density, dendritic shaft, and asymmetric synapse that were significantly increased in samples cultured on the grooved nanosheet.