title: Abnormal mitotic spindle assembly and cytokinesis induced by D-Limonene in cultured mammalian cells.
abstract: D-Limonene is found widely in citrus and many other plant species; it is a major constituent of many essential oils and is used as a solvent for commercial purposes. With the discovery of its chemotherapeutic properties against cancer, it is important to investigate the biological effects of the exposure to D-Limonene and elucidate its, as yet unknown, mechanism of action. We reported here that D-Limonene is toxic in V79 Chinese hamster cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, to determine the cellular target of D-Limonene, we performed morphological observations and immunocytochemical analysis and we showed that this drug has a direct effect on dividing cells preventing assembly of mitotic spindle microtubules. This affects both chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, resulting in aneuploidy that in turn can lead to cell death or genomic instability.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche ( STEBICEF, sezione di Biologia Cellulare) Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Catanzaro
authors.forename: Flores
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naselli
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sciandrello
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caradonna
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D006224:Cricetinae; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048749:Cytokinesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D042822:Genomic Instability; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D000077222:Limonene; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D013729:Terpenes; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D000077222:Limonene