Article Title

Strong contact coupling of neuronal growth cones with height-controlled vertical silicon nanocolumns

Authors

Seong-Min Kim, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
Seyeong Lee, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
Dongyoon Kim, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
Dong-Hee Kang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
Kisuk Yang, Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
Seung-Woo Cho, Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
Jin Seok Lee, Department of Chemistry, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul 04310, Republic of Korea
Insung S. Choi, Center for Cell-Encapsulation Research, Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
Kyungtae Kang, Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17104, Republic of Korea
Myung-Han Yoon, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea

Keywords

vertical silicon nanostructures, metal-assisted chemical etching, primary hippocampal neurons, neurite outgrowth, cytoskeletal dynamics

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this study, we report that height-controlled vertically etched silicon nanocolumn arrays (vSNAs) induce strong growth cone-to-substrate coupling and accelerate in vitro neurite development while preserving the essential features of initial neurite formation. Large-scale preparation of vSNAs with flat head morphology enabled the generation of well-controlled topographical stimulation without cellular impalement. A systematic analysis on topographyinduced variations on cellular morphology and cytoskeletal dynamics was conducted. In addition, neurite development on the grid-patterned vSNAs exhibited preferential adhesion to the nanostructured region and outgrowth directionality. The arrangement of cytoskeletal proteins and the expression of a focal adhesion complex indicated that a strong coupling existed between the underlying nanocolumns and growth cones. Furthermore, the height-controlled nanocolumn substrates differentially modulated neurite polarization and elongation. Our findings provide an important insight into neuron-nanotopography interactions and their role in cell adhesion and neurite development.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1878-7

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Seong-Min Kim,Seyeong Lee,Dongyoon Kim,Dong-Hee Kang,Kisuk Yang,Seung-Woo Cho,Jin Seok Lee,Insung S. Choi,Kyungtae Kang,Myung-Han Yoon, Strong contact coupling of neuronal growth cones with height-controlled vertical silicon nanocolumns. NanoRes.2018, 11(5): 2532–2543