Title: Changes in the organization of actin and myosin in non-muscle cells induced by N-ethylmaleimide
Abstract: There is evidence from in vitro studies that the SH reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) causes the formation of ATP-resistant rigor-complexes between actin and myosin [1], and NEM-modified heavy meromyosin has been used by Cande et al. to study the contractile process during cytokinesis [2, 3]. It is reported here that treatment of tissue-cultured cells with NEM causes an immediate cessation of all motile activities and a simultaneous stabilization of the ultrastructure of the cell visualized on lysis with detergent-containing buffers. After NEM treatment a 5- to 10-fold increase in the amount of myosin was found associated with the detergent-resistant cell residues. As suggested by immunoelectron microscopy, using antibodies to non-muscle myosin together with gold-labelled protein A, increasing amounts of myosin filaments became associated with the microfilament assemblies of the cell with time of NEM treatment. In addition to this there was a slow, progressive reorganization of the cortical wave of microfilaments. The structures interpreted as myosin filaments were visualized at relatively high resolution. The immunoelectron microscopy finally also indicated the presence of a non-filamentous form of myosin in agreement with the results of others [4].
Publication Year: 1985
Publication Date: 1985-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 22
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