title: Effect of sublethal doses of cadmium, inorganic mercury and methylmercury on the cell morphology of an insect cell line (Aedes albopictus, C6/36).
abstract: The effect of CdCl2 (44 microM), HgCl2 (3.7 microM), and MeHgCl (2 microM) on the morphology of Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells was studied at the light microscopical level. Treatment times and metal concentrations were in the sublethal range as determined by a fluorometric dye exclusion test. The three metal species had profound effects on the cell morphology. MeHgCl treatment induced the development of a large number of short, actin-supported, tangled filopodia. Both CdCl2 and HgCl2 induced long extensions. Pretreatment with colchicine but not with cytochalasin B prevented formation of these extensions which suggests that they were supported by microtubules. This was confirmed by immunostaining for microtubules. The extensions were relatively stable towards colchicine post-treatment. To authors' knowledge, this effect has not yet been described for heavy metals. The similarity with 20-hydroxyecdysone-treated cells and the occurrence of cytoplasmic feet in insect cells is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Microbiology, University of Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Braeckman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simoens
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rzeznik
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raes
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D004441:Ecdysterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D002104:Cadmium; D003571:Cytochalasin B; D004441:Ecdysterone; D008628:Mercury; D003078:Colchicine