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Alterations in dynamics of microtubule assembly during axonal neuritogenesis in NB2a/d1 cells
1Ralph Lowell Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178.
Abstract:
During dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP)-mediated differentiation, axonal neurites elaborated by mouse NB2a/d1 neuroblastoma cells are initially colchicine-labile but attain colchicine-stability after 7 days. To examine whether or not differences in tubulin subunit turnover could account for the development of colchicine-stability, anti-tubulin antibodies were delivered into NB2a/d1 cells at various times during dbcAMP-mediated neurite outgrowth. These antibodies prevented initial neurite elaboration, and induced neurite retraction in cells treated with dbcAMP for up to 3 days, but did not induce neurite retraction for cells treated for 7 days. We conclude that a less dynamic, more slowly-turning over population of microtubules develops within neurites of cells treated with dbcAMP for 7 days.
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