A prominent microtubule cytoskeleton in Acanthamoeba

A method for preparing by detergent extraction the cytoskeletons of substrate-attached, motile Acanthamoeba castellanii is described. A monoclonal antibody to yeast alpha tubulin has been used to demonstrate the presence of abundant microtubules in the cytoskeleton of this amoeba by fluorescence and whole-mount electron microscopy. Individual microtubules, often more than 10 micron long, interweave to form a well-developed 3-D network pervading the cytoplasm and embracing the nucleus. In some cases immunofluorescent staining reveals distinct nodes in the perinuclear region of this microtubular network.