Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: Nascent extracellular matrix converts biomaterial cues into cell fate decisions
doi: 10.64898/2026.01.10.698826
Figure Lengend Snippet: a. Representative fluorescent images of nuclei and cell membrane of chondrocytes cultured in low, mid, and high modification hydrogels at day 7 (scale bars: 10 μm.) b. Quantification of divided nuclei of chondrocytes culture in low, mid and high modification hydrogels at day1, 4 and 7 (low: day 1 n = 12 regions of interest (ROIs), N = 2; day 4 n = 9 ROIs, N = 2; day 7 n = 12 ROIs, N = 3; mid: day 1 n = 8 ROIs, N = 2; day 4 n = 8 ROIs, N = 2; day 7 n = 12 ROIs, N = 3; high: day 1 n = 10 ROIs, N = 2; day 4 n = 9 ROIs, N = 2; day 7 n = 12 ROIs, N = 3) c. Quantification of divided nuclei of chondrocytes culture in low, mid and high modification hydrogels at day 7 ( low: n = 12 ROIs, N = 3; mid: n = 12 ROIs, N = 3; and high: n = 12 ROIs, N = 3). d. Representative fluorescent images of incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) into chondrocytes cultured in low, mid and high modification hydrogels at day 7 (scale bar: 100 μm). e. Quantification of EdU incorporation into chondrocytes cultured in low, mid and high modification hydrogels at day 7 (scale bar: 100 μm, low: n = 23 ROIs, N = 4; mid: n = 24 ROIs, N = 4; and high: n = 23 ROIs, N = 4 ). f. Quantification of chondrocyte cell aspect ratio at day 7 (low: n = 108 cells, N = 3; mid: n = 112 cells, N = 3; and high: n = 111 cells, N = 3). g. Schematic showing the downstream effects of Sox9 translocation into the nucleus, including upregulation of collagen type IIA1, aggrecan (ACAN) and Sox9, and the downregulation of collagen type IA1, versican (VCAN) and THY-1 h. Representative immunofluorescent images and quantification of Sox9 nuclear translocation calculated by the nucleus-to-cytoplasm (NC) ratio at day 7 (scale bar: 10 μm, low: n = 139 cells, N = 3; and high: n = 124 cells, N = 3). i. Ratio of COL2A1/COL1A1 and ACAN/VCAN gene expression at day 7, measured by qPCR and normalized to S18 housekeeping gene. Gene expression ratios were calculated as 2 (-(ΔCt₁ - ΔCt₂)) , where ΔCt₁ and ΔCt₂ represent Ct values of each gene normalized to S18. ( N = 4) a-i. N = number of independent experiments, error bar = standard deviation, ****p < 0.0001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, ns: not significant by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test.
Article Snippet: Primary antibodies included SOX9 (NovusBio, NBP2-24659, 1:100), Collagen II (DSHB, II-II6B3, 1:100), Collagen VI (Biosynth, 70R-CR009X, 1:100), Decorin (Kerafast, ENH077-FP, 1:100), and Aggrecan (Abcam, ab3778, 1:50).
Techniques: Membrane, Cell Culture, Modification, Translocation Assay, Gene Expression, Standard Deviation