Dendrimer-Immobilized Culture Surface as a Tool to Evaluate Formation of Cellular Cytoskeleton of Anchorage-Dependent Cells

摘要

Anchorage-dependent cultivation of human epithelial and keratinocyte cells was carried out on surfaces modified with synthesized dendrimers.Notable elongation of the epithelial cells was recognized on the culture surface immobilized with a dendrimer having D-glucose as a functional ligand,but not when a dendrimer having L-glucose was used or when the dendrimer was ligand-free.This morphological change was attributable to a temporary grasping of the cells at the D-glucose moiety via a glucose transporter-mediated mechanism present in the cell membrane.Following visualization of the actin filaments of the cells,it was considered that the cellular elongation on the D-glucose-bound dendrimer surface reflected the degree of formation of the cellular cytoskele-ton.The cellular roundness was calculated by means of image analysis of the individual cells and employed as a parameter to evaluate the formation of the cellular cytoskeleton.In the culture of keratinocytes on the D-glucose-bound dendrimer surface,it was demonstrated that the decrease in the ratio of elongated cells (i.e.,cells with a low roundness value)was correlated with the deterioration in the growth potential associated with cellular senescence.