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Antitumor activities of substances from natural sources apart from vascular plants and micro-organisms have been poorly investigated. Here we report on a pharmacological screening of a bryophyte extract library using a phenotypic cell-based assay revealing microtubules, centrosomes and DNA. Among the 219 moss extracts tested, we identified 41 extracts acting on cell division with various combinations of significant effects on interphasic and mitotic cells. Seven extracts were further studied using a cell viability assay, cell cycle analysis and the phenotypic assay. Three distinct pharmacological patterns were identified including two unusual phenotypes.

De nombreux medicaments ont ete generes a partir de produits naturels isoles des plantes vasculaires, les Tracheophytes. Cependant, la decouverte de nouveaux archetypes structuraux est devenue rare, suggerant que la diversite chimique associee a la biodiversite des vegetaux superieurs n’est peut-etre pas aussi elevee qu’on le pensait. Il est alors tentant d’etudier des plantes differentes, comme les Bryophytes (mousses, hepatiques, anthocerotes), colonisatrices d’ecosystemes particuliers et plus rarement etudiees puisqu’a ce jour, moins de 10 % des Bryophytes ont fait l’objet d’investigations phytochimiques, souvent succinctes. Des substances biologiquement actives, parfois de structure phytochimique originale, ont ete isolees. Les differents groupes de Bryophytes ont-ils le meme interet pharmacologique ? Quelles sont les difficultes associees a leur etude ? Quelles sont les possibilites de succes des investigations futures en terme de medicament ?

Ethnopharmacological relevance The high incidence of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Peru and the wide use of medicinal plants in this country led us to study the activity against HCC cells in vitro of somes species used locally against liver and digestive disorders. Materials and methods Ethnopharmacological survey: Medicinal plant species with a strong convergence of use for liver and digestive diseases were collected fresh in the wild or on markets, in two places of Peru: Chiclayo (Lambayeque department, Chiclayo province) and Huaraz (Ancash department, Huaraz province). Altogether 51 species were collected and 61 ethanol extracts were prepared to be tested. Biological assessment : All extracts were first assessed against the HCC cell line Hep3B according a 3-step multi-parametric phenotypic assay. It included 1) the evaluation of phenotypic changes on cells by light microscopy, 2) the measurement of the antiproliferative activity and 3) the analysis of the cytoskeleton and mitosis by immunofluorescence. Best extracts were further assessed against other HCC cell lines HepG2, PLC/PRF/5 and SNU-182 and their toxicity measured in vitro on primary human hepatocytes. Results Ethnopharmacological survey: Some of the species collected had a high reputation spreading over the surveyed locations for treating liver problems, i.e. Baccharis genistelloides, Bejaria aestuans, Centaurium pulchellum, Desmodium molliculum, Dipsacus fullonum, Equisetum bogotense, Gentianella spp., Krameria lapacea, Otholobium spp., Schkuhria pinnata, Taraxacum officinale . Hep3B evaluation: Fourteen extracts from 13 species ( Achyrocline alata , Ambrosia arborescens , Baccharis latifolia , Hypericum laricifolium , Krameria lappacea , Niphidium crassifolium , Ophryosporus chilca , Orthrosanthus chimboracensis , Otholobium pubescens , Passiflora ligularis , Perezia coerulescens , Perezia multiflora and Schkuhria pinnata ) showed a significant antiproliferative activity against Hep3B cells (IC 50 ≤ 50 µg/mL). This was associated with a lack of toxicity on primary human hepatocytes in vitro . Immunofluorescence experiments on Hep3B cells showed that crude extracts of Schkuhria pinnata and Orthrosanthus chimboracensis could block Hep3B cells in mitosis with an original phenotype. Crude extracts of Perezia coerulescens , Perezia multiflora , Achyrocline alata , Ophryosporus chilca , Otholobium pubescens and Hypericum laricifolium could modify the overall microtubule cytoskeletal dynamics of Hep3B cells in interphase by an original mechanism. Conclusions Our method allowed us to select 9 extracts which displayed antiproliferative activities associated with original cellular phenotypes on Hep3B cells, regarding known microtubule-targeting drugs. Both chemical and cellular studies are ongoing in order to elucidate natural compounds and cellular mechanisms responsible of the activities described.

Rad51 protein plays an essential role in recombination repair of DNA double-strand breaks and DNA crosslinking adducts. It is part of complexes which can vary with the stage of the cell cycle and the nature of the DNA lesions. During a search for Rad51-associated proteins in CHO nuclear extracts of S-phase cells by mass spectrometry of proteins immunoprecipitated with Rad51 antibodies, we identified a centrosomal protein, gamma-tubulin. This association was confirmed by the reverse immunoprecipitation with gamma-tubulin antibodies. Both proteins copurified from HeLa cells nuclear extracts following a tandem affinity purification of double-tagged Rad51. Immunofluorescence analysis showed colocalization of both Rad51 and gamma-tubulin in discrete foci in mammalian cell nuclei. The number of colocalized foci and their overlapping area increased in the presence of DNA damage produced by genotoxic treatments either during S phase or in exponentially growing cells. These variations did not result from an overall stress because microtubule cytoskeleton poisons devoid of direct interactions with DNA, such as taxol or colcemid, did not lead to an increase of this association. The recruitment of Rad51 and gamma-tubulin in the same nuclear complex suggests a link between DNA recombination repair and the centrosome function during the cell cycle.

Summary The characterization of the two Paramecium γ-tubulin genes, γPT1 and γPT2, allowed us to raise Paramecium-specific antibodies, directed against their most divergent carboxy-terminal peptide and to analyze the localization and dynamics of γ-tubulin throughout the cell cycle. As in other cell types, a large proportion of the protein was found to be cytosolic, but in contrast to the general situation, γ-tubulin was found to be permanently associated to four types of sites: basal bodies, the micronuclear compartment – within which mitotic and meiotic spindles develop without membrane breakdown –, the pores of the contractile vacuoles and the cytoproct which are cortical microtubular organelles fulfilling excretory functions. In addition, a transient site of γ-tubulin and microtubule assembly was observed at the site of nuclear exchange during conjugation. This complexity accounts for the nucleation of most of the numerous and diverse microtubule arrays present in Paramecium. The sites and mode of nucleation of the microtubule bundles formed in the macronuclear compartment during division remain unclear. These observations lead us to discuss the relationships between microtubules, γ-tubulin and MTOCs.

The long-standing interest in centrioles and basal bodies stems from the evolutionary conservation of their structural design and from their dual mode of assembly (templated versus de novo), revealed by electron microscopic studies nearly four decades ago and unique for a subcellular organelle. Molecular dissection of the assembly pathway during the past few years has recently progressed, essentially through direct and reverse genetic approaches. These studies revealed essential roles for centrins and the gamma-, delta-, epsilon - and eta-tubulins in assembly or as specific signals for centriole duplication. Identification of further components of basal bodies and centrioles might help to unravel the two assembly pathways and their regulation.

Ajoene, a garlic stable oil-soluble sulfur rich compound was generally isolated as a mixture of two isomers [(E, Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide]. It has been described essentially as a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation in vitro and in vivo. The antiproliferative effects of ajoene and experiments using a single isomer had received little attention. The present study aims at defining the antitumor activities of cis-Z-ajoene in vitro and in vivo. Antiproliferative activity of Z-ajoene was demonstrated against a panel of human tumor cell lines with IC(50) values varying from 5.2 mM to 26.1 mM and at a lower extent in normal marsupial kidney cells (PtK2). Meanwhile, Z-ajoene arrested HL60 cells in G(2)/M phase of cell cycle in a dose and time-dependent way. In PtK2 cells, exposure to 20 microM Z-ajoene for 6 h induced a complete disassembly of the microtubule network, that was associated with an increased number of cells blocked in early mitotic stages. An IC(50) for microtubule disassembly of 1 microM was determined by a fully automated microplate-based multi-detection reader. In vitro, a reversible inhibition of the microtubule protein assembly was observed with an IC(50) of 25 microM Z-ajoene. In vivo, Z-ajoene inhibited tumor growth by 38% and 42% in mice grafted with sarcoma 180 and hepatocarcinoma 22, respectively. For the first time, Z-ajoene was shown to be a potent inhibitor of tumor cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. The microtubule cytoskeleton appeared to be one of the Z-ajoene targets, but the mechanisms by which Z-ajoene interacted with microtubule appeared different from those of other microtubule poisons such as those of the Vinca alkaloids family. The ability of Z-ajoene to preferentially suppress the growth of neoplastic cells could provide a new approach in tumor therapy.

The cytoskeleton is involved in major developmental events in plant cell growth and differentiation. Nucleation events play a key role in the dynamic and organization of the microtubule (Mt) cytoskeleton. Among many proteins involved in Mt nucleation, γ-tubulin has been identified as an essential component of the Mt organizing centers (MTOC). In protoplasts, somatic embryogenesis induction has been correlated with remodeling of Mt cytoskeleton. We have investigated the specific developmental expression of γ-tubulin in Helianthus annuus. Two γ-tubulin isoforms have been detected by immunoblotting, with bands at 52 and 58 kDa. The larger γ-tubulin (58 kDa) is present in all the sunflower tissues tested and is associated with the nucleus. The smaller γ-tubulin (52 kDa), differing from the former at the carboxy-terminal end, is only present in meristematic and dedifferentiated cells and is not bound to the nucleus. This first demonstration of the presence of two γ-tubulins in plant cells is discussed in terms of distinct roles in the nucleation and organization of Mts.

Vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, and vinorelbine, the four vinca alkaloids used in cancer therapy, differ in their antitumoral spectra and toxicities, but not in their inhibitory effects on microtubule assembly in vitro. At higher drug concentrations, vinca alkaloids induce the assembly of spiral filaments of tubulin, which, in turn, can interact laterally and form paracrystals. Using methods that distinguish spiral filaments and paracrystals (aggregated spirals), we found that spiral filament formation was largely independent of the incubation temperature, of the alkaloid used, and of the presence or absence of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). In contrast, the formation of aggregated spirals was markedly dependent on the alkaloid used, on the incubation temperature, and on the absence or presence of MAPs. Aggregated spirals failed to assemble in the presence of high concentrations of MAP-1A or MAP-1B, whereas they assembled readily with tau and MAP-2. Differences in patterns of turbidity development using pure tubulin allowed the classification of thirteen cytotoxic vinca alkaloids into five distinct groups, with centrifugal recovery of aggregated spirals in close agreement with the various turbidity patterns. With microtubule protein, i.e. tubulin preparations containing MAPs, only four groups were defined by turbidity patterns, and centrifugal protein recovery was more divergent. Vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, and vinorelbine fell into distinct groups under both reaction conditions, and thus they appear to have qualitatively distinguishable in vitro interactions with tubulin. These differential effects on spiral filament and aggregated spiral assembly revealed that the four drugs induce different constraints on the tubulin molecule.

In mammalian cells the centrosome or diplosome is defined by the two parental centrioles observed in electron microscopy and by the pericentriolar material immunostained with several antibodies directed against various centrosomal proteins (gamma-tubulin, pericentrin, centrin and centractin). Partial destabilization of the microtubule cytoskeleton by microtubule-disassembling substances induced a splitting and a slow migration of the two diplosome units to opposite nuclear sides during most of the interphase in several mammalian cell lines. These units relocated close together following drug removal, while microtubule stabilization by nM taxol concentrations inhibited this process. Cytochalasin slowed down diplosome splitting but did not affect its relocation after colcemid washing. These results account for the apparently opposite effects induced by microtubule poisons on centriole separation. Moreover, they provide new information concerning the centrosome cycle and stability. First, the centrosome is formed by two units, distinguished only by the number of attached stable microtubules, but not by pericentrin, gamma-tubulin, centrin and centractin and their potency to nucleate microtubules. Second, the centrosomal units are independent during most of the interphase. Third, according to the cell type, these centrosomal units are localized in close proximity because they are either linked or maintained close together by the normal dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Finally, the relocalization of the centrosomal units with their centrioles in cells possessing one or two centrosomes suggests that their relative position results from the overall tensional forces involving at least partially the microtubule arrays nucleated by each of these entities.

Semi-synthesis of derivatives of rhazinilam, an antitubulin compound, delineated some molecular features necessary for biological activity. In the course of this study, the formation of rhazinilam from 1,2-didehydroaspidospermidine is reexamined and a new mechanism is proposed.

Summary Several polyclonal antibodies raised against distinct γ-tubulin sequences previously showed the presence of γ-tubulin in the cortical MTOCs (basal bodies of dorsal cilia, cirri and membranelles) and also in the micronucleus [21]. In using one of these antibodies during the successive stages of conjugation, we analysed by immunofluorescence the precise dynamics of the localization of γ-tubulin in the intranuclear mitotic and meiotic nuclei, whose spindle, like in other ciliates, is assembled without visible polar structures. The interphase micronucleus exhibits a spotted distribution of γ-tubulin. In prophase, the labeling is weaker than in interphase, but remains punctate. When the chromatin condense during metaphase, the γ-tubulin exhibits a longitudinal distribution similar to the chromatin repartition. At the end of metaphase and beginning of anaphase, this labeling condenses into an equatorial region, between the two migrating clusters of chromosomes. This equatorial labeling becomes thinner until it disappears in late anaphase A. At this time, both extremities of the spindle are strongly labeled. Finally, in telophase the two daughter nuclei already show the spotted interphase labeling, while a relocalization of γ-tubulin results in a strong decoration at the level of the intermediate portion of the long spindle that separates the two nuclei. We also report the detection of γ-tubulin in the macronuclear anlage only during certain stages of its development, and raise the question of its significance. Our observations on Euplotes, although not entirely identical to those made on several evolutionarily distant organisms (for review see [13]), demonstrate that the relocalization of γ-tubulin during the successive mitotic stages are of general occurrence.

The presence of gamma-tubulin in microtubule preparations, obtained by disassembly/ assembly cycles at 0degreesC/37degreesC from the brain of several mammals, is demonstrated by immunoblotting with specific antibodies directed against three distinct regions of the protein. In contrast gamma-tubulin was absent from pure tubulin obtained by chromatography on phosphocellulose, but was retained on the column with the other microtubule-associated proteins. A large part of the gamma-tubulin was present in cold stable material remaining after microtubule disassembly at OdegreesC and was partially solubilized using high salt, thus preventing its purification by the usual assembly/disassembly procedure used for alpha/beta-tubulin heterodimers. Brain gamma-tubulin was purified by affinity chromatography with gamma-tubulin antibodies raised against its carboxyl terminal region. Purified gamma-tubulin consisted of at least two polypeptides present in equal quantities and exhibiting a pI of 6.5 and 6.6, respectively. It was associated with the alpha/beta-tubulin heterodimer and with at least five other polypeptides of 75, 105, 130, 195, and 250 kDa. With the exception of the 250 kDa polypeptide, all of these proteins seem to be present in gamma-tubulin complexes isolated from Xenopus eggs. But, in contrast with Xenopus egg complexes, brain complexes exhibited a considerable heterogeneity of their apparent masses and composition in sucrose gradient centrifugation, in agreement with the absence of an homogeneous structure in electron microscopy. Despite this heterogeneity, gamma-tubulin complexes bind quantitatively to microtubule extremities. The possibility to further use mammalian brain gamma-tubulin and some of its associated proteins in biochemical and pharmacological experiments is of interest since brain microtubule protein preparations have been extensively used for studying both microtubule dynamics and the activity of microtubule poisons.

Cells of eukaryotic organisms exhibit microtubules with various functions during the different developmental stages. The identification of multiple forms of alpha- and beta-tubulins had raised the question of their possible physiological roles. In the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum a complex polymorphism for alpha- and beta-tubulins has been correlated with a specific developmental expression pattern. Here, we have investigated the potential heterogeneity of gamma-tubulin in this organism. A single gene, with 3 introns and 4 exons, and a single mRNA coding for gamma-tubulin were detected. They coded for a polypeptide of 454 amino acids, with a predicted molecular mass of 50,674, which presented 64–76% identity with other gamma-tubulins. However, immunological studies identified two gamma-tubulin polypeptides, both present in the two developmental stages of the organism, uninucleate amoebae and multinucleate plasmodia. The two gamma-tubulins, called gamma s- and gamma f-tubulin for slow and fast electrophoretic mobility, exhibited apparent molecular masses of 52,000 and 50,000, respectively. They were recognized by two antibodies (R70 and JH46) raised against two distinct conserved sequences of gamma-tubulins. They were present both in the preparations of amoebal centrosomes possessing two centrioles and in the preparations of plasmodial nuclear metaphases devoid of structurally distinct polar structures. These two gamma-tubulins exhibited different sedimentation properties as shown by ultracentrifugation and sedimentation in sucrose gradients. Moreover, gamma s-tubulin was tightly bound to microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) while gamma f-tubulin was loosely associated with these structures. This first demonstration of the presence of two gamma-tubulins with distinct properties in the same MTOC suggests a more complex physiological role than previously assumed.

Six novel docetaxel analogues that possess a N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazo-4-yl)amido-6-caproyl chain in position 7 or 3′ (11 and 16a), a N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazo-4-yl)amido-3-propanoyl group at 3′ (16b) and a 5′-biotinylamido-6-caproyl chain in position 7, 10 or 3′, respectively, have been synthesized. These compounds exhibit activity against microtubule disassembly similar to that of docetaxel but show discrepant activities on living cells. Although addition of microtubules to 11, 16a and b enhance their fluorescence, no shift of the emission maxima was observed. The fluorescent docetaxel derivatives show a specific labeling of microtubules in living cells, demonstrating that the microtubule cytoskeleton constitutes their main subcellular localization.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), with an atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface, has been applied to the identification of metabolites and derivatives of paclitaxel (taxol) in plasma and urine of patients treated with this new anticancer drug. Protonated molecules with substantial fragmentation were obtained using this ionization technique. The three ion series observed are characteristic of the intact molecule, the taxane ring, and the side chain at C13. Their analysis gives information about chemical modifications of the taxane structure at different positions of the molecule. Urine and plasma extracts were evaluated using the capacity to perform MS analysis directly on the entire effluent from conventional LC columns. Excellent spectra were obtained with 50 pmol of separated compounds in full scan mode. This technique allowed highly sensitive identification of 6 alpha-hydroxytaxol, the major human biliary metabolite, and of 7-epitaxol in extracts of plasma and urine from patients. Taxol hydrolysis derivatives were observed for the first time in urine 24 hours after the end of the infusion period. Sensitivity could be increased further using single ion monitoring (SIM) mode, once a target derivative was identified. These results demonstrate that LC/MS with an APCI interface is useful for the characterization and pharmacokinetic analysis of taxoids in biological matrices.

We have investigated the effects of the microtubule poison rhazinilam on microtubule assembly in vivo and in vitro. In mammalian cells, rhazinilam mimics the effects of taxol and leads to microtubule bundles, multiple asters, and microtubule cold stability. In vitro, rhazinilam protected preassembled microtubules from cold-induced disassembly, but not from calcium ion-induced disassembly. Moreover, both at 0 degrees C and at 37 degrees C, rhazinilam induced the formation of anomalous tubulin assemblies (spirals). This process was prevented by maytansine and vinblastine, but not by colchicine. Preferential saturable and stoichiometric binding of radioactive rhazinilam to tubulin in spirals was observed with a dissociation constant of 5 microM. This binding was abolished in the presence of vinblastine and maytansine. In contrast, specific binding of radioactive rhazinilam to tubulin assembled in microtubules was undetectable. These results demonstrate that rhazinilam alters microtubule stability differently than taxol, and that the overall similar effects of rhazinilam and taxol on the cellular cytoskeleton are the consequence of two distinct mechanisms of action at the molecular level.

Animal cells undergoing cytokinesis form an inter-cellular bridge containing two bundles of microtubules interdigitated at their plus ends, which constitute the midbody. Polyclonal antibodies raised against three specific amino acid sequences of gamma-tubulin (EEFATEGGDRKDV, NIIQGEADPTDVHKSL and EYHAATRPDYISWGTQEQ) specifically stained the centrosome in interphase, the spindle poles in all stages of mitosis, and the extremities of the midbody in mammalian cells (Potorous, human, Chinese hamster, mouse). This staining was prevented by the corresponding peptides, by Xenopus gamma-tubulin, but was not modified by purified alpha beta-tubulin heterodimer. An identical staining was obtained with affinity-purified antibodies against the carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequence of human gamma-tubulin. No gamma-tubulin could be detected in the interzone during anaphase and early telophase. Material containing gamma-tubulin first appeared in the two daughter cells on each side of the division plane in late telophase, and accumulated transiently at the minus ends of the two microtubule bundles constituting the midbody for one hour after metaphase. Micro-injection of gamma-tubulin antibodies into anaphase cells prevented the subsequent formation of the microtubule bundles between the two daughter cells. In contrast with previous views, these observations suggest that the microtubules constituting the midbody may be nucleated on special microtubule organizing centres, active during late telophase only, and assembled on each side of the dividing plane between the daughter cells.

Six protoflavonoids, including two new compounds, were isolated during a large scale screening of fern extracts for original interaction with mitosis. The new compounds isolated from PHEGOPTERIS DECURSIVE-PINNATA and EQUISETUM FLUVIATILE were 2′,3′-dihydroprotogenkwanone ( 1) and 2′,3′-dihydro-2′-hydroxyprotoapigenone ( 2). Known compounds were: protoapigenone, protogenkwanone, protoapigenin, and 4′- O- β-D-glucopyranosyl protoapigenin. They showed a cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells at a micromolar level. IC 50 values were 2 µM for compound 1, > 10 µM for compound 2, and respectively 2.4, 0.6, > 10 µM for the known compounds. Their cytotoxic effects were associated with phenotypic changes never observed before and characterized by the loss of centrosomal γ-tubulin labelling in both mitotic and interphasic cells.

Semi-synthesis of derivatives of rhazinilam, an antitubulin compound, delineated some molecular features necessary for biological activity. In the course of this study, the formation of rhazinilam from 1,2-didehydroaspidospermidine is reexamined and a new mechanism is proposed.

We monitored the biological evolution of four human non-small-cell lung cancers labeled KLX6, KLX7, KLX9, and KLX14 that had been grafted onto nude mice. This monitoring was carried out by means of digital cell image analysis which assessed morphometric (nuclear area, NA) and densitometric (nuclear DNA content, DI) features on Feulgen-stained nuclei from imprint smears. In each of the four models, the biological evolution of the NA and DI was characterized through their progression during serial passaging onto nude mice. The results show that of the four lung cancer models analyzed, one (KLX6) remained definitively stable with respect to its DNA content (DI assessments), while the other three, i.e., KLX7, KLX9, and KLX14, varied significantly. As assessed by the morphometric parameter, i.e., the NA, the four xenografted lines also varied significantly over serial passaging. In conclusion, we show that digital cell image analyses of Feulgen-stained cell nuclei including morphometric and densitometric parameters are a powerful tool for monitoring the biological evolution of human lung cancers grafted onto nude mice. We think therefore that the ploidy level of a tumor might be dependent upon its age and/or its related clinical stage.

Independently of their nucleation activity, γ-tubulin ring complex proteins localize along microtubules, limiting catastrophe events during interphase., γ-Tubulin is critical for the initiation and regulation of microtubule (MT) assembly. In Drosophila melanogaster, it acts within two main complexes: the γ-tubulin small complex (γ-TuSC) and the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). Proteins specific of the γ-TuRC, although nonessential for viability, are required for efficient mitotic progression. Until now, their role during interphase remained poorly understood. Using RNA interference in Drosophila S2 cells, we show that the γ-TuRC is not critical for overall MT organization. However, depletion of any component of this complex results in an increase of MT dynamics. Combined immunofluorescence and live imaging analysis allows us to reveal that the γ-TuRC localizes along interphase MTs and that distal γ-tubulin spots match with sites of pause or rescue events. We propose that, in addition to its role in nucleation, the γ-TuRC associated to MTs may regulate their dynamics by limiting catastrophes.

Although secondary plant metabolites provided numerous leads for the development of a wide array of therapeutic drugs, the discovery of new drugs with novel structures has declined in the past few years. Indeed higher plants have a similar evolutionary history and so produce similar metabolites. Search for novel sources of new therapeutic compounds within unexplored parts of biodiversity is thus an attractive challenge. Bryophytes, a group of small terrestrial plants remain relatively untouched in the drug discovery process whereas some have been used as medicinal plants. Studies of their secondary metabolites are recent but reveal original compounds, some of which not synthesized by higher plants. However investigations often meet difficulties during harvest or isolation of active compounds. In consequence, small quantities of substances obtained may be the main reason for the lack of biological tests. Strategies to overcome those troubles may exist and then lead to innovative medicinal applications.

In metazoans, gamma-tubulin acts within two main complexes, gamma-tubulin small complexes (gamma-TuSCs) and gamma-tubulin ring complexes (gamma-TuRCs). In higher eukaryotes, it is assumed that microtubule nucleation at the centrosome depends on gamma-TuRCs, but the role of gamma-TuRC components remains undefined. For the first time, we analyzed the function of all four gamma-TuRC-specific subunits in Drosophila melanogaster: Dgrip75, Dgrip128, Dgrip163, and Dgp71WD. Grip-motif proteins, but not Dgp71WD, appear to be required for gamma-TuRC assembly. Individual depletion of gamma-TuRC components, in cultured cells and in vivo, induces mitotic delay and abnormal spindles. Surprisingly, gamma-TuSCs are recruited to the centrosomes. These defects are less severe than those resulting from the inhibition of gamma-TuSC components and do not appear critical for viability. Simultaneous cosilencing of all gamma-TuRC proteins leads to stronger phenotypes and partial recruitment of gamma-TuSC. In conclusion, gamma-TuRCs are required for assembly of fully functional spindles, but we suggest that gamma-TuSC could be targeted to the centrosomes, which is where basic microtubule assembly activities are maintained.

The centrosome is the major microtubule organizing structure in somatic cells. Centrosomal microtubule nucleation depends on the protein gamma-tubulin. In mammals, gamma-tubulin associates with additional proteins into a large complex, the gamma-tubulin ring complex (gamma TuRC). We characterize NEDD1, a centrosomal protein that associates with gamma TuRCs. We show that the majority of gamma TuRCs assemble even after NEDD1 depletion but require NEDD1 for centrosomal targeting. In contrast, NEDD1 can target to the centrosome in the absence of gamma-tubulin. NEDD1-depleted cells show defects in centrosomal microtubule nucleation and form aberrant mitotic spindles with poorly separated poles. Similar spindle defects are obtained by overexpression of a fusion protein of GFP tagged to the carboxy-terminal half of NEDD1, which mediates binding to gamma TuRCs. Further, we show that depletion of NEDD1 inhibits centriole duplication, as does depletion of gamma-tubulin. Our data suggest that centriole duplication requires NEDD1-dependent recruitment of gamma-tubulin to the centrosome.

The assembly of the mitotic spindle after depletion of the major gamma-tubulin isotype by RNA-mediated interference was assessed in the Drosophila S2 cell line. Depletion of gamma-tubulin had no significant effect on the cytoskeletal microtubules during interphase. However, it promoted an increase in the mitotic index, resulting mainly in monopolar and, to a lesser extent, asymmetrical bipolar prometaphases lacking astral microtubules. This mitotic accumulation coincided with the activation of the mitotic checkpoint. Immunostaining with an anti-Asp antibody revealed that the spindle poles, which were always devoid of gamma-tubulin, were unfocused and organized into sub-spindles. Despite the marked depletion of gamma-tubulin, the pericentriolar proteins CP190 and centrosomin were recruited to the spindle pole(s), where they formed three or four dots, suggesting the presence of several centrioles. Electron microscopic reconstructions demonstrated that most of the monopolar spindles exhibited three or four centrioles, indicating centriole duplication with a failure in the separation process. Most of the centrioles were shortened, suggesting a role for gamma-tubulin in centriole morphogenesis. Moreover, in contrast to metaphases observed in control cells, in which the spindle microtubules radiated from the pericentriolar material, in gamma-tubulin-depleted cells, microtubule assembly still occurred at the poles but involved the elongation of centriolar microtubule triplets. Our results demonstrate that, after depletion of gamma-tubulin, the pericentriolar material is unable to promote efficient microtubule nucleation. They point to an alternative mechanism of centrosomal microtubule assembly that contributes to the formation of abnormal, albeit partially functional, mitotic spindles.

Garlic organosulfur components exhibit antitumor activity, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been well characterized. We showed that Z-ajoene, a sulfur-rich compound purified from garlic, induced time- and dose-dependent apoptosis in HL-60 cells. This process implied the activation of caspase-3 and the cleavage of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. The caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-[OMe]-fluoromethylketone inhibited Bcl-2 cleavage and apoptosis induced by Z-ajoene. This effect was partially prevented by treatment of HL-60 cells with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. Hence, the transmission of apoptotic signal induced by Z-ajoene involved a reactive oxygen species-dependent pathway leading to caspase-dependent Bcl-2 cleavage.

The adaptor AP2 is a heterotetrameric complex that associates with clathrin and regulatory proteins to mediate rapid endocytosis from the plasma membrane. Here, we report the identification of the mitotic checkpoint kinase BubR1 as a novel binding partner of beta2-adaptin, one of the AP2 large subunits. Using two-hybrid experiments and in vitro binding assays, we show that beta2-adaptin binds to BubR1 through its amino-terminal beta2-'trunk' domain, while the beta2-binding region of BubR1 maps to the carboxy-terminal kinase domain. Subcellular immunolocalization studies suggest that the interaction between BubR1 and beta2-adaptin could take place in the cytosol at any time during the cell cycle. In addition, we found that BubR1 and the BubR1-related kinase, Bub1, also bind to beta-adaptins of other AP complexes. Together, these results support a model in which the mitotic checkpoint kinases BubR1 and BuB1, by binding to beta-adaptins, may play novel roles in the regulation of vesicular intracellular traffic.

The binding of two antitumour alkaloids, vinorelbine and vinflunine, to the alpha/beta-tubulin dimer has been investigated at equilibrium by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Tubulin stability and assembly induced by these drugs has been checked under NMR experimental conditions, and tubulin spirals were found in majority. Then, using increasing ligand concentrations, the alkaloids were titrated against tubulin. A non-specific binding of both compounds to tubulin (K(d)10(-5)M) was characterised by broad NMR ligand signal at 4 and 30 degrees. The tubulin dimer exhibited also 2.7 (sigma: 0.3) and 2.6 (sigma: 0.6) binding sites with a K(d)10(-5)M for vinorelbine at 4 and 30 degrees, respectively. In contrast, if the tubulin dimer exhibited 2.7 (sigma: 0.2) binding sites for vinflunine at 4 degrees, these sites were not detected at 30 degrees. This NMR study revealed for the first time the presence of specific binding sites and a clear differential affinity of vinorelbine and vinflunine to the tubulin dimer at physiological temperatures which could possibly account for their differential cytotoxicity.

Liver cancer, for which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most frequent primitive form, is ranked sixth and third in terms of incidence and death respectively in the world. Its survival rate at 5 years is low (less than 10 %). There is no effective treatment to date, surgical approaches excepted or sorafenib with a gain in survival of 3 months. In view of this limitation of therapeutic alternatives, the search and identification of new molecules of natural origin remain an important issue. In this study, the pharmacological properties of 63 extracts, prepared from Peruvian plants selected upon ethnopharmacological investigations conducted in Peru, were analyzed. The extracts were tested in an in vitro phenotypic screening approach on the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep3B, following a 3-step cell analysis: 1- the first step consisted in the determination of a screening score which was defined according to 3 criteria : APE, MIT and OMM. APE refers to the Anti-Proliferative Effect of the extract, MIT to the ability of the extract to modify the MITotic events (by increasing or decreasing the number of cells in mitosis), and OMM refers to the ability of an extract to induce Original Morphological Modifications to the treated cells. The score values ranged from 1 to 27 and a score value of 12 was defined as the threshold. Twenty five extracts exhibited a score value > 12 and were selected for further analysis. 2- the second step consisted in the determination of the cytotoxic effect of the 25 extracts selected from step 1, measured after a 48 hrs incubation time. Of these extracts, 11 showed IC50 values > 50 µg/ml, 10 with IC50 between 15 and 50 µg/ml and 4 with IC50 < 15 µg/ml The 14 extracts which exhibited IC50 values lower than 50 µg/ml were selected for the final step. 3- the third step consisted in studying the extracts inducing original phenotypic changes. This led to the selection of 4 extracts : 2 extracts of different families (Iridaceae and Asteraceae) induced blocking Hep3B cells in prometaphase while 2 other extracts, from the same genus (Asteraceae) induced cytoskeletal reorganization. This latter effect was original since it occurred on cells in interphase and not on mitosis as it can be seen with the classical tubulin inhibitors such as colchicine, vinblastine or paclitaxel. Interestingly, the plants from which come the 4 extracts inducing original phenotypes have been little studied so far either chemically or pharmacologically, suggesting that they may be a source of new molecules of therapeutic interest and/or with original structures. Citation Format: Jean Edouard Gairin, Cedric Lavergne, Maelle Carraz, Valérie Jullian, Geneviève Bourdy, Michel Wright. Screening of extracts from ethnopharmacologically selected peruvian plants in human hepatocarcinoma cell line Hep3B. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3204. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3204

The functional significance of distinct gamma-tubulins in several unrelated eukaryotes remains an enigma due to the difficulties to investigate this question experimentally. Using specific nucleotidic and immunological probes, we have demonstrated that the two divergent Drosophila gamma-tubulins, gamma-tub23C and gamma-tub37CD, are expressed in cultured cells. Gamma-tub37CD is constantly detected at the centrosome and absent in the mitotic spindle, while gamma-tub23C is extensively recruited to the centrosome during mitosis and relocalizes in the mitotic spindle. The two gamma-tubulins exhibit distinct biochemical properties. Gamma-tub23C is present in the soluble gamma-tubulin small complexes (10S) and gamma-tubulin big complexes (35S) and is loosely associated to the cytoskeleton. In contrast, gamma-tub37CD is undetectable in the soluble fraction and exhibits a tight binding to the centrosome. Syncytial embryos also contain the two gamma-tubulin isotypes, which are differentially recruited at the centrosome. Gamma-tub23C is present in the 10S soluble complexes only, while y-tub37CD is contained in the two soluble complexes and is recruited at the centrosome where it exhibits an heterogeneous binding. These results demonstrated an heterogeneity of the two Drosophila gamma-tubulin isotypes both in the cytoskeletal and the soluble fractions. They suggest the direct implication of the 35S complex in the centrosomal recruitment of gamma-tubulin and a conditional functional redundancy between the two gamma-tubulins.

Vinflunine, a newly synthesized derivative, possesses marked in vivo antitumor properties and, like other alkaloids, inhibits in vitro tubulin assembly at microM concentrations. However, in contrast to other vinca alkaloids, vinflunine exhibits relatively low in vitro cytotoxic potency. The aim of this report was to investigate whether the action(s) of vinflunine on the microtubule cytoskeleton could account for its cytotoxicity or if its cellular action requires another molecular target. Four vinca alkaloids used in cancer therapy and vinflunine were studied using PtK2 cells. Their activities on the most dynamic microtubules were investigated in mitosis and in interphase by evaluating the disturbance of the metaphase plate and the splitting of the diplosome, respectively. No correlation was observed between the cellular accumulation of these compounds and either their cytotoxicity or their action(s) on the microtubule cytoskeleton. In contrast, cytotoxicity, mitotic disturbance and diplosome splitting were observed in the nM range for vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine and vinorelbine, although these events occurred at 10 times higher concentrations in the case of vinflunine. Hence, dynamic modifications of both the mitotic and interphasic microtubule cytoskeleton are compatible with in vitro cytotoxicity of vinflunine, raising questions about the conventional biochemical screening of these vinca alkaloids.

This report deals with the as yet undetermined issue of whether cell-surface associated microtubules in certain cochlear epithelial cells are centrosomally nucleated and subsequently migrate to microtubule-capturing sites located at the surface regions in question. Alternatively, the cells may possess additional nucleating sites which are noncentrosomal and surface-associated. These alternative possibilities have been investigated for highly polarised epithelial cells called supporting cells in the mouse and guinea pig organ of Corti using antibodies to pericentrin and gamma-tubulin. There is substantial evidence that both proteins are essential components of microtubule-nucleating sites in cells generally. Each mature supporting cell possesses a large microtubule array that is remotely located with respect to its centrosome (more than 10 microns away). The antibodies bind to a cell's centrosome. No binding has been detected at 2 other microtubule-organising centres that are associated with the ends of the centrosomally-remote microtubule array while it is being constructed. Such arrays include thousands of microtubules in some of the cell types that have been examined. If all a cell's microtubules are nucleated by its centrosome then the findings reported above imply that microtubules escape from the centrosomal nucleating site and migrate to a new location. Furthermore capture of the plus and minus ends of the errant microtubules is taking place because both ends of a centrosomally-remote microtubule array are attached to sites that are precisely positioned at certain cell surface locations. Minus ends are locating targets with an exactitude comparable to that which has been demonstrated for plus ends in certain cell types. These cells apparently operate a single control centre strategy for microtubule nucleation that is complemented by precise positioning of plus and minus end-capturing sites at the cell surface.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents metabolism and pharmacology of taxoids. Three main modifications occur in taxoids when they are introduced in the organism—namely, (1) epimerization, (2) hydrolysis, and (3) hydroxylation. After 72 h of incubation, the ratio of 7-epi-paclitaxel to paclitaxel varies from 0.36 to 0.48 in the cell and from 0.25 to 0.32 in the medium, depending on the cell line and on the initial concentration of paclitaxel. The epimerization of paclitaxel occurs in the medium in the presence or absence of cells. The reversible epimerization of the hydroxyl group at C-7 occurs with both paclitaxel and docetaxel. Two derivatives resulting from the hydrolysis of paclitaxel have been observed in human patients. Cleavage of the side chain at C-13 of the taxane ring results in the formation of baccatin III, while 10-deacetyl paclitaxel results from the cleavage of the acetyl group at the C-10 of the taxane ring. Hydroxylation is pharmacologically important, since hydroxylated compounds are the major metabolites of paclitaxel and docetaxel, leading in all cases to less cytotoxic derivatives which are readily eliminated.

Centrioles organize microtubules in two ways: either microtubules elongate from the centriole cylinder itself, forming a flagellum or a cilium ("template elongation"), or pericentriolar material assembles and nucleates a microtubule aster ("astral nucleation"). During spermatogenesis in most species, a motile flagellum elongates from one of the sperm centrioles, whereas after fertilization a large aster of microtubules forms around the sperm centrioles in the egg cytoplasm. Using Xenopus egg extracts we have developed an in vitro system to study this change in microtubule-organizing activity. An aster of microtubules forms around the centrioles of permeabilized frog sperm in egg extracts, but not in pure tubulin. However, when the sperm heads are incubated in the egg extract in the presence of nocodazole, they are able to nucleate a microtubule aster after isolation and incubation with pure calf brain tubulin. This provides a two-step assay that distinguishes between centrosome assembly and subsequent microtubule nucleation. We have studied several centrosomal antigens during centrosome assembly. The CTR2611 antigen is present in the sperm head in the peri-centriolar region. gamma-tubulin and certain phosphorylated epitopes appear in the centrosome only after incubation in the egg extract. gamma-tubulin is recruited from the egg extract and associated with electron-dense patches dispersed in a wide area around the centrioles. Immunodepletion of gamma-tubulin and associated molecules from the egg extract before sperm head incubation prevents the change in microtubule-organizing activity of the sperm heads. This suggests that gamma-tubulin and/or associated molecules play a key role in centrosome formation and activity.

Dyneins are multi-subunit enzymes that transduce chemical energy into the mechanical energy that makes cilia and flagella beat and moves organelles towards the minus end of microtubules. The ATPase activity is borne by heavy chains, and recent molecular analysis indicates that dynein heavy chain genes form an ancient multigene family: the similarity between the same isoform of two distantly related species is greater than that between different isoforms of the same species. We have exploited sequence identities between a Paramecium axonemal dynein heavy chain gene cloned in our laboratory and sequences of dynein heavy chains from other species to prepare antibodies against active-site peptides capable of recognizing dynein heavy chains regardless of species or isoform. One of the antibodies is perfectly specific for the larger product of V1 photolysis (HUV1) and thus incorporates a unique property of the hydrolytic ATP binding site of all known dynein heavy chains, the capacity for photocleavage in the presence of micromolar vanadate. Our characterization of these reagents suggests that they will be useful for biochemical and in situ studies of known dyneins as well as identification of potential new members of the family. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

It has been claimed that the plasmodium of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum constitutes a very unusual syncytium, devoid of cytoplasmic microtubules. In contrast, we have observed a cytoplasmic microtubule network, by both electron microscopy and immunofluorescence in standard synchronous plasmodia, either in semi-thin sections or in smears, and in thin plasmodia, used as a convenient model. Cytoplasmic microtubules could be seen after immunofluorescent staining with three different monospecific monoclonal anti-tubulin antibodies. The immunolabelling was strictly restricted to typical microtubules as shown by electron microscopy. These cytoplasmic microtubules were entirely and reversibly disassembled by cold treatment and by either of two microtubule poisons: methyl benzimidazole carbamate and griseofulvin. The microtubule network, present in all strains that have been studied, contains single microtubules and microtubule bundles composed of two to eight microtubules. Cytoplasmic microtubules form a dense and complex three-dimensional network, distinct from the microfilamentous domains and from the nuclei. The orientation of the microtubule network varies according to the plasmodial domain examined. Generally microtubules show no special orientation except in plasmodial veins where they are oriented parallel to the long axis of the veins. Differences between our observations and those of previous workers who failed to find cytoplasmic microtubules in plasmodia are discussed. We propose that they reflect difficulties of observation mainly due to the fluorescent background. In contrast with the previous view, the discovery of a microtubule cytoplasmic cytoskeleton in Physarum plasmodia raises several questions concerning its relationships with other cellular organelles and its dynamics during different cell cycle events.

The action of two epimers of a new vinblastine derivative that differ in their in vivo antitumor activity and their cytotoxicity was studied in vitro in brain microtubule proteins. These two compounds, called S-12363 and S-12362, could not be distinguished from one another or from other active vinca alkaloids by their ability to prevent microtubule assembly. However, they differed strongly both from one another and from vincristine and vinblastine in their ability to induce the formation of tubulin paracrystals and in the stability of the paracrystals following temperature shifts from 0 degree to 37 degrees C and vice versa. The most potent drug, S-12363, induced considerable tubulin aggregation, which was even more pronounced than that observed in the presence of vincristine. Previous results have shown that S-12363, in contrast to vincristine, induces no neurotoxic effects. This observation is in disagreement with a direct relationship between tubulin aggregation and neurotoxicity.

Microtubule-interacting proteins have been studied in the lower eukaryote Physarum polycephalum. We show for the first time 1) the presence in Physarum amoebal crude extracts of at least six polypeptides that bind specifically to amoebal microtubules, 2) the binding between these proteins and mammalian microtubules, 3) the heat stability of two of these polypeptides (125 and 235 kDa), 4) the functional properties of a fraction containing a heat-soluble 125 kDa polypeptide, and 5) the phosphorylation of the 125 kDa polypeptide during two distinct periods of the cell cycle in Physarum synchronous plasmodia, first at late S/early G2 phase and second at late G2/prophase.

Amoebae of the Myxomycete Physarum polycephalum in the interphase state typically contain only one proflagellar apparatus in which the anterior kinetosome (anterior centriole) is attached to the microtubule organizing center 1 (mtoc 1). We built strains possessing more than one mtoc 1 and a variable number of anterior centrioles to allow the appearance of new structures. In 8% of the amoebae of these strains, the 1:1 attachment between the anterior centriole and the mtoc 1 is not always respected. In nine cases studied using tridimensional reconstructions from ultrastructural thin sections, the pattern of attachment was more complex. A mtoc 1 could be linked to several anterior centrioles, and/or reciprocally an anterior centriole could be linked to several mtoc 1. In one case, an anterior centriole was not linked to a mtoc 1 and in three cases, a single centriole exhibited anterior and posterior characteristics. These observations suggest that (1) each pair of centrioles constitutes a morphological and physiological entity that is distinct from the mitotic center (mtoc 1); (2) the attachment of the anterior centriole to the mtoc 1 occurs at the end of each mitosis; (3) there is an inductory process during the morphogenesis of the link between the anterior centriole and the mtoc 1; (4) the anterior characteristics of a centriole can be present in the absence of the link with the mtoc 1; (5) the anterior and posterior characteristics of a centriole are not exclusive of each other, ruling out the existence of a lineage corresponding to the anterior centriole and a lineage corresponding to the posterior centriole; and (6) the differences between anterior and posterior centrioles result from a maturation process.

Although the plasmodial stage of the MyxomycetePhysarum polycephalum was unaffected with 200 μM taxol, the amoebal stage was sensitive to 10 μM taxol. The first effect of taxol resulted in an accumulation of cells blocked as a monopolar centrosphere surrounded by condensed chromosomes. In 79% of cases these monoasters contained two pairs of centrioles. The mitotic block in a monopolar stage in the presence of taxol delayed the occurrence of late mitotic events such as chromosome decondensation and formation of the nuclear envelope. Escape from the monopolar centrosphere stage and formation of multinucleated amoebae involved a transient monopolar reconstruction stage in which a long microtubular bundle interacted with a small chromosomal mass outside the monoaster.

Immunofluorescent labelling ofPhysarum microtubules with a new antibody specific for the α1-isotubulin has been compared with the labelling with an antibody specific for β-isotubulins and an antibody with recognizes tubulin chains terminated by an aromatic amino-acid. In agreement with the known presence of only one α-isotype in amoebae and several α-isotypes in plasmodia, the immunofluorescence of the mitotic spindle was qualitatively identical, but lower in plasmodia than in amoebae. In all cases except one, there were no relative variations of immuno-fluorescence staining with the three antibodies, from metaphase to telophase, in spindles sampled. In plasmodia grown at optimal temperature, both during normal or perturbed mitosis, the immunostaining of the α1isotype decreased sharply after metaphase, while the staining obtained with the two other antibodies did not vary significantly. The immunologic determination of the relative amount of the α1-isotubulin in the tubulin pool and in isolated mitotic microtubules could not account for this observation.

Preparations of E. coli dnaB gene product contain ribonucleoside triphosphatase activity that is stimulated 10-fold by DNA. The products of the triphosphatase activity are nucleoside diphosphates and P i . The dnaB complementing activity in the ϕX174 DNA-dependent system and these triphosphatase activities copurify over the last 20-fold of an extensive (about 40,000-fold) purification procedure. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified material shows a single band of protein coincident with eluted dnaB complementing and DNA-dependent and -independent nucleoside triphosphatase activities.

The variations of thymidine kinase or ATP:thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.1.21) during the cell cycle of Physarum polycephalum plasmodia have been studied at two extreme physiological temperatures: 22 degrees C and 32 degrees C. At 22 degrees C the enzyme activity increases near mitosis and stays constant during late S and G2 phases, exhibiting the typical pattern of a 'step enzyme'. But at 32 degrees C thymidine kinase activity goes through a maximum 1 h 30 min after mitosis and decreases during the subsequent phases as expected for a 'peak enzyme'. The rate of enzyme degradation and/or inactivation, measured in the presence of metabolic poisons (cycloheximide or dinitrophenol), appears to follow a simple exponential function with a half-life of approximately 3 h and 1 h at 22 degrees C and 32 degrees C respectively. The effect of growth temperature on the decrease of thymidine kinase activity can account entirely for the differences in the pattern of enzyme activity at the two extreme temperatures. Tentative calculations indicate that the rate of enzyme synthesis is nearly constant during the cell cycle except near mitosis, where it is temporarily increased. The results suggest the existence of a regulatory mechanism able to modulate the rate of synthesis of thymidine kinase during the cell cycle.

Physarum synchronous plasmodia were submitted to temperature shifts during the cell cycle and the onset of mitosis was followed at both temperatures. After 22 to 31 or 32° shifts, delays in mitosis onset, dependent upon protein synthesis, were observed at 32° and found to increase as the time separating the shift from the control mitosis decreases. The modification of a general metabolic process or the inactivation of a catalytic heat sensitive substance cannot account for such a result. The proposed model postulates a substance acting in a stoichiometric way, which can occur under three structural forms: two active forms synthesized at low and high temperatures respectively and an inactive one which comes from the transformation of the low temperature active form placed at high temperature. The constant delays observed after some shifts (29 to 32°) suggest that this substance is acting through a polymeric structure which would be necessary for the mitotic process and the initiation of the following DNA synthesis.

The microtubules structure of two stable diploid amoebal strains, each resulting from the fusion of two haploid amoebae has been studied by electron microscopy. Tridimensional reconstructions showed that these diploid amoebae-typically possessed two proflagellar apparatuses,i.e., two microtubule organizing centers 1 (mtoc 1) and two pairs of centrioles with their associated microtubular arrays. These observations account for the high frequency of biflagellated amoebae in these two strains. The presence of two mtoc 1 may account for the high percentage of mitotic abnormalities which was observed under phase contrast microscopy and electron microscopy and is in agreement with a role of the mtoc 1 as a mitotic center during mitosis. However, the presence of numerous normal mitotic apparatuses raises the question of the regulations which play a role in the mitotic process. The unusual distribution of centrioles and the unusual pro-flagellar apparatuses which were produced suggest that in interphase the anterior centriole is a necessary structure for the morphogenesis of the microtubular arrays 2 and 3 and that the posterior centriole is a necessary structure for the morphogenesis of the microtubular arrays 4 and 5.

Temperature shifts from 22 to 32 °C perturb one of the systems responsible for mitosis triggering in the plasmodia of Physarum (Myxomycetes). In order to determine if the same regulatory mechanism could also be involved in some other cell cycle events, the effects of temperature shifts on the peak of thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21, ATP : thymidine 5′-phosphotransferase) synthesis have been studied. At 22 °C, the increase in thymidine kinase (tdk) activity begins shortly before mitosis and is thus always associated with the end of the G2 phase, the mitosis and the beginning of the S phase. The consequences of temperature shifts depend upon their position in the cell cycle. In all cases, a peak of tdk occurs concomitantly with the 32 °C mitosis. But, when the temperature shift is applied 90-15 min before the control metaphase at 22 °C, another peak of tdk is observed at 32 °C in absence of mitosis, but at the same time as the control mitosis at 22 °C. These results indicate that the increase in the synthesis of tdk is controlled by the heat-sensitive regulatory system which plays a role in the onset of mitosis and S phase. We further suggest that the increase in the synthesis of tdk and the triggering of mitosis are both controlled by the amount of a heat-sensitive effector. But the former takes place when the amount of the effector reaches a critical value lower than the value necessary to trigger mitosis.