Interplay of matrix stiffness and protein tethering in stem cell differentiation

摘要: Stem cells regulate their fate by binding to, and contracting against, the extracellular matrix. Recently, it has been proposed that in addition to matrix stiffness ligand type, degree of coupling fibrous protein surface underlying substrate, is, tethering porosity, also regulates stem cell differentiation. By modulating substrate porosity without altering polyacrylamide gels, we show varying did not significantly change tethering, deformations, or osteogenic adipogenic differentiation human adipose-derived stromal marrow-derived mesenchymal cells. Varying protein-substrate linker density up 50-fold changed but affect osteogenesis, adipogenesis, surface-protein unfolding deformations. Differentiation was unaffected absence tethering. Our findings imply planar matrices independently porosity.