Relationships between cytoplasmic microtubular complex, DNA synthesis and cell morphology in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (effects of age, serum deprivation, aphidicolin, cytochalasin B and colchicine).
Aging, aphidicolin, serum deprivation and cytochalasin B induce a decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis, an increase in cell flattening (cell surface increase) and an extension of the cytoplasmic microtubular complex (CMTC). Age and experimental conditions affect the protein content of the cell, but there is no relationship between cell morphology and cell protein content. Serum deprivation, aphidicolin and cytochalasin B are more effective on DNA synthesis and cytoplasmic actin complex (CAC) of late than of early fibroblasts. Despite these facts, the cell morphology of late cells is fairly stable and is not affected by experimental conditions, which exert an "aging effect" upon the cell morphology in earlier cultures. Colchicine acts upon the CMTC, cell morphology and DNA synthesis at all ages of the cultures. It also induces disruption of the CAC, the intensity of the disruption depending on both the length of the treatment and the age of the culture: the sensitivity of the actin-microfilaments to colchicine increases with the mitotic age of the cells. We suggest that the microtubular integrity is needed, but not sufficient, to preserve the organization of the CAC into microfilaments. We propose a logical model comprising feedback loops between the number of the mitotic cycles, the rate of DNA synthesis, the extention rate of the plasma membranes and CMTC in normal fibroblasts. CMTC is associated, in this model, with the expression of negative or positive controls, depending on the grade of its extension (Fig. 9).
D000818:Animals; D016590:Aphidicolin; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000502:physiology
D003470:Culture Media; D004224:Diterpenes; D006133:Growth Substances; D014404:Tubulin; D016590:Aphidicolin; D003571:Cytochalasin B; D003078:Colchicine