Fasciculation and Defasciculation of Neurite Bundles on Micropatterned Substrates

• Published in: Annals of biomedical engineering Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 559 - 569
• Main Authors: Voyiadjis, A. G, Doumi, M, Curcio, E, Shinbrot, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Boston : Springer US 2011; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Biophysics; Bundles; Bundling; Cell Enlargement; Chick Embryo - cytology; Chick Embryo - physiology; Chicks; Classical Mechanics; Decomposition; Dorsal root ganglia; Embryonic Development - physiology; Fasciculation; Fourier analysis; Fourier filter; image analysis; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; In vitro; In vitro testing; Microscopy - methods; Neurites - physiology; Neurites - ultrastructure; Two dimensional; Fourier filter; Dorsal root ganglia; Image processing; Fasciculation
• ISSN: 0090-6964; 1573-9686
• DOI: 10.1007/s10439-010-0168-2

We describe experiments of fasciculation, i.e., bundling, of chick sensory neurites on 2D striped substrates. By Fourier decomposition, we separate left-going and right-going neurite components from in vitro images, and we find first that neurite bundles orient toward preferred angles with respect to the stripe direction, and second that in vitro bundles travel in leftward and rightward directions nearly uninterrupted by crossings of bundles traveling in the opposing direction. We explore mechanisms that lead to these behaviors, and summarize implications for future models for neurite outgrowth and guidance.