Figure 8.

Randomization of microtubule polarity by taxotere allows clustered mitochondria to disperse again. Tau-stable cells were treated with 10 μM taxotere for 6 h, which leads to an altered microtubule organization. Note that the MTOC in taxotere-treated cells is barely visible in the tubulin stain (b), in contrast to nontreated cells (compare Fig. 2). Microtubules are nucleated randomly throughout the cytoplasm, thus abolishing the role of the MTOC as an organizing element and therefore abolishing the polarity of microtubules. Minus-end–directed motors are now able to transport mitochondria back to peripheral regions in the tau-stable cells. Cells were fixed in methanol and mitochondria were stained with MitoTracker™ Green (a), tubulin was immunostained with DM1A (b). Bar, 10 μm.