title: Microtubule network and microtubule-associated proteins in leukemic T lymphocytes.
abstract: Cytoskeletal changes have been known to occur in cell transformation. Vinca alkaloids which bind to the tubulin dimer and inhibit microtubule (MT) assembly as well as disrupting the MT network and mitotic spindle, have been used as cancer chemotherapeutic agents. It has been proposed that apart from their anti-mitotic activity, these drugs act on the peripheral MT of malignant cells to produce their cytolytic effects. In this paper we demonstrate the presence of an altered cytoplasmic MT network in MOLT-4 and HuT-78 leukemic cells (human T-cell leukemic lines) compared to normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with mitogens. In addition, using a selective extraction protocol we have compared microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) profiles of G1/S synchronized leukemic human T-cells and 20 h mitogen-stimulated human peripheral blood T-cells. We observed a dramatic decrease in the expression of a MAP of apparent molecular weight 52 kDa and pI 5.2 in the leukemic cells synchronized at the G1/S border of the cell cycle. These results suggest that altered MT network morphology and MAP synthesis may be components of the malignant phenotype in the T-lymphocytic leukemias studied here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D002469:Cell Separation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins