title: Effect of the antitumor drug vinblastine on nuclear betaII-tubulin in cultured rat kidney mesangial cells.
abstract: Tubulin, the main component of microtubules, is a major target for antitumor drugs such as vinblastine. We have recently discovered that the betaII isotype of tubulin is present in the nuclei of cultured rat kidney mesangial cells, smooth-muscle-like cells present in the renal glomerular mesangium (Walss C, Kreisberg JI, Ludueña RF: Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 42: 274-284, 1999). Here, we have investigated the effect of vinblastine on nuclear betaII-tubulin in these cells. We have found that, at concentrations of 15 nM and higher, vinblastine caused a reversible loss of betaII-tubulin from the nucleus. Our results raise the possibility that nuclear betaII-tubulin constitutes a population of tubulin that could be a novel target for antitumor drugs such as vinblastine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walss-Bass
authors.forename: Jeffrey I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kreisberg
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ludueña
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D014404:Tubulin; D014747:Vinblastine