Simple treatment of cell culture surfaces with water-dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures impacts YAP localization in vascular endothelial cells

Abstract

Subcellular localization of yes associated proteins (YAPs) plays a critical role in endothelial cell proliferation. Since the surface properties of cell culture materials are known to affect the subcellular localization of YAPs, there are high expectations that cellular functions could be manipulated by materials-designing. In the present study, we demonstrated that surface treatment of tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) substrates with a mixture of water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) affects the proliferation of endothelial cells. We found that surfaces treated with a mixture containing a higher DMSO ratio became more hydrophobic, while surfaces treated with a low DMSO ratio caused YAP to translocate to the nucleus and promote cell proliferation. Thus, we propose that surface treatment of TCPS with water and DMSO could be a simple way to manipulate specific cellular functions.