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. 1981 Apr 1;89(1):157–161. doi: 10.1083/jcb.89.1.157

Cytochalasin separates microtubule disassembly from loss of asymmetric morphology

PMCID: PMC2111763  PMID: 7014572

Abstract

When neuroblastoma cells bearing neurites are incubated with colchicine or Nocodazole, the cytoplasmic microtubules are depolymerized and concomitantly the neurites retract. We report here that cytochalasin separates the two effects of these drugs: it quantitatively inhibits neurite retraction but does not inhibit microtubule assembly. The neurites that remain contain intermediate filaments and actin but are devoid of microtubules. Depletion of cellular ATP also blocks neurite retraction induced by colchicine or Nocodazole, but some assembled microtubules persist under these conditions. The results suggest that neurite retraction is an active cell process.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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