Nuclei deformation in HaCaT keratinocytes cultivated on aligned fibrous substrates

Abstract

Substrate topography influences cell shape, direction and rate of migration, nucleus shape, and gene expression levels. This influence is commonly studied using substrates with predefined surface structure and chemical composition. In the current work, we studied the state of HaCaT keratinocyte nuclei and actin cytoskeleton on poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds obtained by electrospinning. Two types of fibrous scaffolds were prepared and characterized. In the random scaffolds, the fibers were arranged in a nonsystematic fashion; however, most of the fibers had the same direction in the aligned scaffolds. When cultured on the aligned scaffolds, HaCaT cells exhibited oriented actin filaments and had more elongated nuclei.