Substrate effects of gel surfaces on cell adhesion and disruption

Substrate effects of hydrogel surfaces prepared on hydrophilic and hydropho bic substrates on the cell adhesion and disruption were studied. The adhesi on of tobacco protoplasts onto anionic hydrogels was strongly influenced by the substrates on which the gels were synthesized. In the case of anionic poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) gel, more cells adhered on the gel surface prepared on hydrophobic substrates than that prepared on hy drophilic substrates. On the other hand, in the case of cationic quaternize d poly(dimethylaminopropylacrylamide) gel, cell disruption occurred in a fe w seconds accompanied with an intensive release of cellular contents on the gel surface prepared on the hydrophilic substrates, while the cationic gel synthesized on hydrophobic substrates induced no cell disruption. These di fferent behaviors of the cell have been made in terms of different structur es of gel surfaces associated with the presence of flexible dangling chains .