Fig. 2. Cell distortion-dependent switching between distinct cell fates. (Top) Phase contrast microscopic images of capillary endothelial cells whose shape, size and orientation were controlled using the corresponding micropatterned adhesive substrate designs (20 or 50 µm circles or 10 µm wide lines) shown above in gray that were coated with a constant fibronectin density. Although cells were cultured in the same growth-factor-containing medium, well spread cells on large circles proliferated, retracted cells on the small circles underwent apoptosis, and cells on linear patterns that exhibited an intermediate degree of spreading differentiated into hollow capillary tubes (for details, see Chen et al., 1997; Dike et al., 1999). (Bottom) A schematic summary of cell-distortion-dependent switching between growth, differentiation and apoptosis that has been demonstrated using micropatterned substrates of different size in various cell types, as described in the text.

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