Abstract
Cytochalasins, a class of fungal metabolites, affect a wide variety of motile functions of eukaryotic cells1–3. Recently, several laboratories have shown that cytochalasins inhibit actin polymerization in vitro, presumably by binding with high affinity to growing ends of actin nuclei and filaments (F-actin), and preventing addition of monomers (G-actin) to these sites4–8. Cytochalasins have also been reported, in certain conditions, to induce depolymerization of actin filaments in vitro6. However, correlations of these effects of cytochalasins on actin polymerization in vivo have been limited to electron microscopic studies. Recently, Morris and Tannenbaum reported that there was no net depolymerization of actin in spreading fibroblasts treated with cytochalasin D, despite the well known morpho-logical effects of the drug on these cells9. Here, we describe results indicating that cytochalasin D can inhibit the rapid polymerization of actin in human platelets after thrombin stimulation and induce rapid depolymerization of filamentous actin in Stimulated platelets. Both of these effects correlate with observed changes in platelet shape.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tanenbaum, S. W. (ed.) in Cytochalasins: Biochemical and Cell Biological Aspects (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1978).
White, J. G. in Platelet Aggregation (ed. Caen, J.) 15–52 (Masson, Paris, 1971).
Wessells, N. K. et al. Science 171, 135–143 (1971).
Lin, D. C. & Lin, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 2345–2349 (1979).
Flanagan, M. D. & Lin, S. J. biol. Chem. 255, 835–838 (1980).
Brenner, S. L. & Korn, E. D. J. biol. Chem. 254, 9982–9985 (1979).
Brown, S. S. & Spudich, J. A. J. Cell Biol. 83, 657–662 (1979).
MacLean-Fletcher, S. & Pollard, T. D. Cell 20, 329–341 (1980).
Morris, A. & Tannenbaum, J. Nature 287, 637–639 (1980).
Bilkstad, I., Markey, F., Carlsson, L., Persson, T. & Lindberg, U. Cell 15, 935–943 (1978).
Carlsson, L., Markey, F., Blikstad, I., Persson, T. & Lindberg, U. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 6376–6380 (1979).
Phillips, D. R., Jennings, J. K. & Edwards, H. H. J. Cell Biol. 86, 77–86 (1980).
Zucker-Franklin, D. J. clin. Invest. 48, 165–175 (1969).
Spudich, J. A. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 37, 585–594 (1972).
Lin, S., Lin, D. C., Flanagan, M. D. & Grumet, M. J. Cell Biol. 83, 317a (1979).
Lin, D. C. J. supramolec. Struct. Cell Biochem. 15, 129–138 (1981).
Hartwig, J. H. & Stossel, T. P. J. molec. Biol. 134, 539–553 (1979).
Tangen, O., Berman, H. J. & Marfey, P. Thromb. Diath. haemorrh. 25, 268–278 (1971).
Laemmli, U. K. Nature 227, 680–685 (1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Casella, J., Flanagan, M. & Lin, S. Cytochalasin D inhibits actin polymerization and induces depolymerization of actin filaments formed during platelet shape change. Nature 293, 302–305 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/293302a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/293302a0
This article is cited by
-
Deciphering variations in the endocytic uptake of a cell-penetrating peptide: the crucial role of cell culture protocols
Cytotechnology (2023)
-
Three dimensional (3D) gingival models in periodontal research: a systematic review
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine (2023)
-
Enhancing suspended cell transfection by inducing localized distribution of the membrane actin cortex before exposure to electromechanical stimulation
Biotechnology Letters (2023)
-
Harmonic acoustics for dynamic and selective particle manipulation
Nature Materials (2022)
-
BMS794833 inhibits macrophage efferocytosis by directly binding to MERTK and inhibiting its activity
Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2022)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.