Chemical and biological characterization of thiol SAMs for neuronal cell attachment

Peptide-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs): what peptides can do for SAMs and vice versa

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) represent highly ordered molecular materials with versatile biochemical features and multidisciplinary applications. Research on SAMs has made much progress since the early begginings of Au substrates and alkanethiols, and numerous examples of peptide-displaying SAMs can be found in the literature. Peptides, presenting increasing structural complexity, stimuli-responsiveness, and biological relevance, represent versatile functional components in SAMs-based platforms. This review examines the major findings and progress made on the use of peptide building blocks displayed as part of SAMs with specific functions, such as selective cell adhesion, migration and differentiation, biomolecular binding, advanced biosensing, molecular electronics, antimicrobial, osteointegrative and antifouling surfaces, among others. Peptide selection and design, functionalisation strategies, as well as structural and functional characteristics from selected examples are discussed. Additionally, advanced fabrication methods for dynamic peptide spatiotemporal presentation are presented, as well as a number of characterisation techniques. All together, these features and approaches enable the preparation and use of increasingly complex peptide-based SAMs to mimic and study biological processes, and provide convergent platforms for high throughput screening discovery and validation of promising therapeutics and technologies.

Vapor-Phase Deposition and Electronic Characterization of 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane Self-Assembled Monolayers on Silicon Dioxide

Although organosilanes, especially 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), are commonly used to functionalize oxide substrates for a variety of applications ranging from molecular/biosensors and electronics to protective layers, reliable and controlled deposition of these molecules remains a major obstacle. In this study, we use surface potential analyses to record and optimize the gas-phase deposition of APTES self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and to determine the resulting change of the electrokinetic potential and charge at the solid?liquid interface when the system is exposed to an electrolyte. Using a gas-phase molecular layer deposition setup with an in situ molecule deposition sensor, APTES is deposited at room temperature onto ozone-activated SiO₂. The resulting layers are characterized using various techniques ranging from contact angle analysis, ellipsometry, fluorescence microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrokinetic analysis to AFM. It turns out that adequate postdeposition treatment is crucial to the formation of perfect molecular SAMs. We demonstrate how a thick layer of APTES molecules is initially adsorbed at the surface; however, the molecules do not bind to SiO₂ and are removed if the film is exposed to an electrolyte. Only if the film is kept in a gaseous environment (preferable at low pressure) for a long enough time do APTES molecules start to bind to the surface and form the SAM layer. During this time, superfluous molecules are removed. The resulting modification of the electrokinetic potential at the surface is analyzed in detail for different states.

Spatio-Temporal Control of Cell Adhesion: Toward Programmable Platforms to Manipulate Cell Functions and Fate

Biophysical and biochemical signals of material surfaces potently regulate cell functions and fate. In particular, micro- and nano-scale patterns of adhesion signals can finely elicit and affect a plethora of signaling pathways ultimately affecting gene expression, in a process known as mechanotransduction. Our fundamental understanding of cell-material signals interaction and reaction is based on static culturing platforms, i.e., substrates exhibiting signals whose configuration is time-invariant. However, cells in-vivo are exposed to arrays of biophysical and biochemical signals that change in time and space and the way cells integrate these might eventually dictate their behavior. Advancements in fabrication technologies and materials engineering, have recently enabled the development of culturing platforms able to display patterns of biochemical and biophysical signals whose features change in time and space in response to external stimuli and according to selected programmes. These dynamic devices proved to be particularly helpful in shedding light on how cells adapt to a dynamic microenvironment or integrate spatio-temporal variations of signals. In this work, we present the most relevant findings in the context of dynamic platforms for controlling cell functions and fate in vitro. We place emphasis on the technological aspects concerning the fabrication of platforms displaying micro- and nano-scale dynamic signals and on the physical-chemical stimuli necessary to actuate the spatio-temporal changes of the signal patterns. In particular, we illustrate strategies to encode material surfaces with dynamic ligands and patterns thereof, topographic relieves and mechanical properties. Additionally, we present the most effective, yet cytocompatible methods to actuate the spatio-temporal changes of the signals. We focus on cell reaction and response to dynamic changes of signal presentation. Finally, potential applications of this new generation of culturing systems for in vitro and in vivo applications, including regenerative medicine and cell conditioning are presented.

Controlled Arrangement of Neuronal Cells on Surfaces Functionalized with Micropatterned Polymer Brushes

Conventional in vitro cultures are useful to represent simplistic neuronal behavior; however, the lack of organization results in random neurite spreading. To overcome this problem, control over the directionality of SH-SY5Y cells was attained, utilizing photolithography to pattern the cell-repulsive anionic brush poly(potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PKSPMA) into tracks of 20, 40, 80, and 100 μm width. These data validate the use of PKSPMA brush coatings for a long-term culture of the SH-SY5Y cells, as well as providing a methodology by which the precise deposition of PKSPMA can be utilized to achieve a targeted control over the SH-SY5Y cells. Specifically, the PKSPMA brush patterns prevented cell attachment, allowing the SH-SY5Y cells to grow only on noncoated glass (gaps of 20, 50, 75, and 100 μm width) at different cell densities (5000, 10 000, and 15 000 cells/cm2). This research demonstrates the importance of achieving cell directionality in vitro, while these simplistic models could provide new platforms to study complex neuron-neuron interactions.

Neural and Aneural Regions Generated by the Use of Chemical Surface Coatings

The disordered environment found in conventional neural cultures impedes various applications where cell directionality is a key process for functionality. Neurons are highly specialized cells known to be greatly dependent on interactions with their surroundings. Therefore, when chemical cues are incorporated on the surface material, a precise control over neuronal behavior can be achieved. Here, the behavior of SH-SY5Y neurons on a variety of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and polymer brushes both in isolation and combination to promote cellular spatial control was determined. APTES and BIBB coatings promoted the highest cell viability, proliferation, metabolic activity, and neuronal maturation, while low cell survival was seen on PKSPMA and PMETAC surfaces. These cell-attractive and repulsive surfaces were combined to generate a binary BIBB-PKSPMA coating, whereby cellular growth was restricted to an exclusive neural region. The utility of these coatings when precisely combined could act as a bioactive/bioinert surface resulting in a biomimetic environment where control over neuronal growth and directionality can be achieved.

Surface coating as a key parameter in engineering neuronal network structures in vitro

By quantitatively comparing a variety of macromolecular surface coating agents, we discovered that surface coating strongly modulates the adhesion and morphogenesis of primary hippocampal neurons and serves as a switch of somata clustering and neurite fasciculation in vitro. The kinetics of neuronal adhesion on poly-lysine-coated surfaces is much faster than that on laminin and Matrigel-coated surfaces, and the distribution of adhesion is more homogenous on poly-lysine. Matrigel and laminin, on the other hand, facilitate neuritogenesis more than poly-lysine does. Eventually, on Matrigel-coated surfaces of self-assembled monolayers, neurons tend to undergo somata clustering and neurite fasciculation. By replacing coating proteins with cerebral astrocytes, and patterning neurons on astrocytes through self-assembled monolayers, microfluidics and micro-contact printing, we found that astrocyte promotes soma adhesion and astrocyte processes guide neurites. There, astrocytes could be a versatile substrate in engineering neuronal networks in vitro. Besides, quantitative measurements of cellular responses on various coatings would be valuable information for the neurobiology community in the choice of the most appropriate coating strategy.

Chemically well-defined self-assembled monolayers for cell culture: toward mimicking the natural ECM

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of biological macromolecules that surrounds cells within tissues. In addition to serving as a physical support, the ECM actively influences cell behavior by providing sites for cell adhesion, establishing soluble factor gradients, and forming interfaces between different cell types within a tissue. Thus, elucidating the influence of ECM-derived biomolecules on cell behavior is an important aspect of cell biology. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have emerged as promising tools to mimic the ECM as they provide chemically well-defined substrates that can be precisely tailored for specific cell culture applications, and their application in this regard is the focus of this review. In particular, this review will describe various approaches to prepare SAM-based culture substrates via non-specific adsorption, covalent immobilization, or non-covalent sequestering of ECM-derived biomolecules. Additionally, this review will highlight SAMs that present ECM-derived biomolecules to cells to probe the role of these molecules in cell-ECM interactions, including cell attachment, spreading and 'outside-in' signaling via focal adhesion complex formation. Finally, this review will introduce SAMs that can present or sequester soluble signaling molecules, such as growth factors, to study the influence of localized soluble factor activity on cell behavior. Together, these examples demonstrate that the chemical specificity and variability afforded by SAMs can provide robust, well-defined substrates for cell culture that can simplify experimental design and analysis by eliminating many of the confounding factors associated with traditional culture substrates.

Fabrication and selective functionalization of amine-reactive polymer multilayers on topographically patterned microwell cell culture arrays

We report an approach to the fabrication and selective functionalization of amine-reactive polymer multilayers on the surfaces of 3-D polyurethane-based microwell cell culture arrays. "Reactive" layer-by-layer assembly of multilayers using branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) and the azlactone-functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4'-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) yielded film-coated microwell arrays that could be chemically functionalized postfabrication by treatment with different amine-functionalized macromolecules or small molecule primary amines. Treatment of film-coated arrays with the small molecule amine d-glucamine resulted in microwell surfaces that resisted the adhesion and proliferation of mammalian fibroblast cells in vitro. These and other experiments demonstrated that it was possible to functionalize different structural features of these arrays in a spatially resolved manner to create dual-functionalized substrates (e.g., to create arrays having either (i) azlactone-functionalized wells, with regions between the wells functionalized with glucamine or (ii) substrates with spatially resolved regions of two different cationic polymers). In particular, spatial control over glucamine functionalization yielded 3-D substrates that could be used to confine cell attachment and growth to microwells for periods of up to 28 days and support the 3-D culture of arrays of cuboidal cell clusters. These approaches to dual functionalization could prove useful for the long-term culture and maintenance of cell types for which the presentation of specific and chemically well-defined 3-D culture environments is required for control over cell growth, differentiation, and other important behaviors. More generally, our approach provides methods for the straightforward chemical functionalization of otherwise unreactive topographically patterned substrates that could prove to be useful in a range of other fundamental and applied contexts.

Shape-controlled synthesis of NIR absorbing branched gold nanoparticles and morphology stabilization with alkanethiols

Gold nanoparticles are ideal candidates for clinical applications if their plasmon absorption band is situated in the near infrared region (NIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum. Various parameters, including the nanoparticle shape, strongly influence the position of this absorption band. The aim of this study is to produce stabilized NIR absorbing branched gold nanoparticles with potential for biomedical applications. Hereto, the synthesis procedure for branched gold nanoparticles is optimized varying the different synthesis parameters. By subsequent electroless gold plating the plasmon absorption band is shifted to 747.2 nm. The intrinsic unstable nature of the nanoparticles' morphology can be clearly observed by a spectral shift and limits their use in real applications. However, in this article we show how the stabilization of the branched structure can be successfully achieved by exchanging the initial capping agent for different alkanethiols and disulfides. Furthermore, when using alkanethiols/disulfides with poly(ethylene oxide) units incorporated, an increased stability of the gold nanoparticles is achieved in high salt concentrations up to 1 M and in a cell culture medium. These achievements open a plethora of opportunities for these stabilized branched gold nanoparticles in nanomedicine.

Whole-cell biochips for bio-sensing: integration of live cells and inanimate surfaces

Recent advances in the convergence of the biological, chemical, physical, and engineering sciences have opened new avenues of research into the interfacing of diverse biological moieties with inanimate platforms. A main aspect of this field, the integration of live cells with micro-machined platforms for high throughput and bio-sensing applications, is the subject of the present review. These unique hybrid systems are configured in a manner that ensures positioning of the cells in designated patterns, and enables cellular viability maintenance, and monitoring of cellular functionality. Here we review both animate and inanimate surface properties and how they affect cellular attachment, describe relevant modifications of both types of surfaces, list technologies for platform engineering and for cell deposition in the desired configurations, and discuss the influence of various deposition and immobilization methods on the viability and performance of the immobilized cells.

Nanopatterns biofunctionalized with cell adhesion molecule DM-GRASP offered as cell substrate: spacing determines attachment and differentiation of neurons

The density/spacing of plasma membrane proteins is thought to be crucial for their function; clear-cut experimental evidence, however, is still rare. We examined nanopatterns biofunctionalized with cell adhesion molecule DM-GRASP with respect to their impact on neuron attachment and neurite growth. Data analysis/modeling revealed that these cellular responses improve with increasing DM-GRASP density, with the exception of one spacing which does not allow for the anchorage of a cytoskeletal protein (spectrin) to three DM-GRASP molecules.