Figure 5.

A) Figure illustrates the orientation of nucleus (DAPI) and its cell body (F-actin) on 400 nm topography. The cell body is observed to align parallel to the topography while its nucleus is perpendicular. The orientation was determined by monitoring the axis ratio; the ratio of the long axis of the cell body to its short axis. B) Heat maps are frequency of nuclear orientation expressed as a function of cell orientation. (i) On flat surfaces the cell body and nucleus are oriented randomly and follow each other (a linear relation). (ii) On 400 nm surfaces, there is a subset of cells aligned parallel to the substratum with their nuclei oriented perpendicular (Top left of the heat map). (iii) On 800 nm pitch, both cellbody and nuclei are perpendicularly aligned and follow each other (high frequency on top right). (iv) On the 4000 nm pitch, both cells and nuclei follow each other in orientation (top right and bottom left.)