Microtubules and microfilaments in ageing hamster embryo fibroblasts in vitro.
Microtubules and microfilaments were investigated in hamster lung fibroblasts, during their in vitro life-span. These cells show a senescence process characterized by a drastic phenotypic change, resulting in two phenotypes: the type 1 cells, characteristic of young cultures and the type 2 cells appearing progressively with culture passages. Microtubules and microfilaments were observed at the TEM and also visualized by the unlabelled peroxidase-anti-peroxidase method. Moreover, the susceptibility of microtubules to nocodazole was tested in type 1 and 2 cells. We could not provide evidence for a different susceptibility to the drug. However the depolymerization wave occurred centripetally in type 1 cells whilst centrifugally in type 2 cells. These observations are discussed in relationship with the early arrest of division growth of the type 2 differentiated cells.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000196:embryology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure*