Biomaterial Database

Aneuploidy in Drosophila. III: Aneuploidogens inhibit in vitro assembly of taxol-purified Drosophila microtubules. 1990

A Sehgal, and C Osgood, and S Zimmering

Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529.

The in vitro effects of aneuploidogens on taxol-purified microtubules from whole Drosophila melanogaster and mouse brain were studied by a spectrophotometric assay and electron microscopy. Colchicine, acetonitrile, propionitrile, acrylonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), griseofulvin, and cadmium chloride inhibit microtubule assembly, whereas methoxyethyl acetate (MEA) does not. Qualitatively similar results were observed with D. melanogaster and mouse brain microtubules. The in vitro results from D. melanogaster correlate well with previously published results from in vivo assays monitoring induced sex chromosome aneuploidy in that effective aneuploidogens are observed to affect microtubule assembly. The inclusion of taxol does not appear to qualitatively affect the assembly assays with the chemicals tested. In contrast with results from assembly assays, the tested aneuploidogens, including colchicine, do not promote disassembly to taxol-purified microtubules. It is possible that taxol has shifted the equilibrium and stabilized the formed microtubules to the extent that they are no longer sensitive to aneuploidogen-induced disassembly.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008870	Microtubules	Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein TUBULIN and are influenced by TUBULIN MODULATORS.	Microtubule
D009570	Nitriles	Organic compounds containing the -CN radical. The concept is distinguished from CYANIDES, which denotes inorganic salts of HYDROGEN CYANIDE.	Nitrile
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D003078	Colchicine	A major alkaloid from Colchicum autumnale L. and found also in other Colchicum species. Its primary therapeutic use is in the treatment of gout, but it has been used also in the therapy of familial Mediterranean fever (PERIODIC DISEASE).	Colchicine, (+-)-Isomer,Colchicine, (R)-Isomer
D004121	Dimethyl Sulfoxide	A highly polar organic liquid, that is used widely as a chemical solvent. Because of its ability to penetrate biological membranes, it is used as a vehicle for topical application of pharmaceuticals. It is also used to protect tissue during CRYOPRESERVATION. Dimethyl sulfoxide shows a range of pharmacological activity including analgesia and anti-inflammation.	DMSO,Dimethyl Sulphoxide,Dimethylsulfoxide,Dimethylsulphinyl,Dimethylsulphoxide,Dimexide,Rheumabene,Rimso,Rimso 100,Rimso-50,Sclerosol,Sulfinylbis(methane),Rimso 50,Rimso50,Sulfoxide, Dimethyl,Sulphoxide, Dimethyl
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D006118	Griseofulvin	An antifungal agent used in the treatment of TINEA infections.	Fulvicin-U-F,Grifulvin V,Gris-PEG,Grisactin,Grisefuline,Fulvicin U F,FulvicinUF,Gris PEG,GrisPEG
D000085	Acetates	Derivatives of ACETIC ACID. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that contain the carboxymethane structure.	Acetate,Acetic Acid Esters,Acetic Acids,Acids, Acetic,Esters, Acetic Acid
D000097	Acetonitriles	Compounds in which a methyl group is attached to the cyano moiety.	Cyanomethane,Cyanomethanes,Ethane Nitriles,Methyl Cyanide,Methyl Cyanides,Cyanide, Methyl,Cyanides, Methyl,Nitriles, Ethane