Starter's  CYTOOchip^TM

Disc pattern
Cells adopt a round shape but internal organization is not standardized. Focal adhesions and membrane protrusions span the entire periphery. Cells are randomly polarized and divide in all directions.



Crossbow pattern
Cells adopt the shape of a Chinese fan and become strongly polarized, with most of actin assembly and lamellipodia formation taking place at the upper edge while most of the acto-myosin contraction is confined to the bottom edge. Cells preferentially orient their mitotic spindle along the vertical axis and exhibit asymmetric spindle orientation.
Ref: PNAS and Nature.

H pattern
Cells adopt a pseudo-square shape with actin assembly and lamellipodia formation taking place at the adhesive edges and acto-myosin contraction at the non adhesive edges. Cells preferentially orient their mitotic spindle along the vertical axis and exhibit symmetric spindle orientation.
Ref: CMC and Nat Cell Biol.

Y pattern
Cells adopt a triangular shape with actin assembly and lamellipodia formation taking place at the three apices and acto-myosin contraction at the three edges. This geometry enhances any anomaly in bipolar spindle formation due to an excess number of centrosomes.
Ref: CMC, Genes Dev.