Is 2,3-butanedione monoxime an effective inhibitor of myosin-based activities in plant cells?
The effectiveness of 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) as an inhibitor of plant myosins has been investigated. Three myosin-dependent motility phenomena in plants, namely cytoplasmic streaming in Chara corallina, light-dependent chloroplast repositioning in Elodea sp., and brefeldin A(BFA)-induced Golgi membrane dynamics in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Kite) root-tip cells were investigated. All three processes were inhibited by the sulfhydryl-modifying agent N-ethylmalemide (NEM), indicating the probable involvement of myosin as the motor protein in each case. However, none of these myosin-dependent processes were inhibited by BDM at concentrations as high as 20 mM in some instances. These results therefore question the general usefulness of BDM as an inhibitor of myosin-based activities in plant cells.
McCurdy
D W
DW
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. bidwm@cc.newcastle.edu.au