Membrane curvature underlies actin reorganization in response to nanoscale surface topography

Significance Despite a large body of work, little is known about the origin or underlying mechanisms of how cells interact with surface topographic patterns, which has resulted in a primarily phenomenological approach in studying cell–nanotopography interactions. This study illustrates that membrane curvatures induced by nanoscale surface topography can serve as a direct biochemical signal to activate curvature-sensing protein and regulate actin polymerization and mechanotransduction in the intracellular space.