Cell–cell contacts control intracellular organization and cell orientation. Primary rat astrocytes were plated onto fibronectin-printed micropatterns or submitted to a wound-healing assay (migrating cells). 7 h later, cells were fixed and stained. (A and B) Pan-cadherin (green), pericentrin (red), and Hoechst (blue) stainings. The green cross indicates the position of the cell centroid, and the arrows show the distance between the cell centroid and the nucleus center (black) or the centrosome (white). (C) Distances between the nucleus and cell centroids (black) and between centrosome and cell centroid (white). (D) Distribution of the angle between the centrosome–nucleus axis and the micropattern radius passing through the centrosome. The median angle is indicated in red. The typical intracellular organization of the cell in each condition is depicted above the distribution graphs (green cross, cell centroid; blue oval, nucleus center; red dot, centrosome). (E, left) Paxillin (red) and phalloidin (green). (middle) α-tubulin (red, for microtubules) and detyrosinated tubulin (green). (right) GM130 (green), pericentrin (red), and Hoechst (blue). Data are given as mean ± SD of three independent experiments totaling at least 120 cells. Statistical differences between grouped cells with a free cell edge and the other conditions are indicated. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.005. Bars, 20 µm.