Cells are continuously sensing their microenvironment and subsequently respond to different physicochemical cues by the activation or inhibition of different signaling pathways. To study a very complex cellular response, it is necessary to diminish background environmental influences and highlight the particular event. However, surface-driven nonspecific interactions of the abundant biomolecules from the environment influence the targeted cell response significantly. Yes-associated protein (YAP) translocation may serve as a marker of human hepatocellular carcinoma (Huh7) cell responses to the extracellular matrix and surface-mediated stresses. Here, we propose a platform of tunable functionable antifouling poly(carboxybetain) (pCB)-based brushes to achieve a molecularly clean background for studying arginine, glycine, and aspartic acid (RGD)-induced YAP-connected mechanotransduction. Using two different sets of RGD-functionalized zwitterionic antifouling coatings with varying compositions of the antifouling layer, a clear correlation of YAP distribution with RGD functionalization concentrations was observed. On the other hand, commonly used surface passivation by the oligo(ethylene glycol)-based self-assembled monolayer (SAM) shows no potential to induce dependency of the YAP distribution on RGD concentrations. The results indicate that the antifouling background is a crucial component of surface-based cellular response studies, and pCB-based zwitterionic antifouling brush architectures may serve as a potential next-generation easily functionable surface platform for the monitoring and quantification of cellular processes.

• MeSH
• Acrylamides chemistry   MeSH
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible chemistry   MeSH
• Biofouling prevention & control   MeSH
• Mechanotransduction, Cellular * MeSH
• Extracellular Matrix metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Stress, Mechanical MeSH
• Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
• Oligopeptides chemistry   MeSH
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes metabolism   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH