Vinblastine(Vb) or vincristine, alkaloid derived from Vinca rosea is known for its antimitotic activity by regrouping of microtubules into paracrystalline form within the cells. A rapid purification method of vinblastine-induced microtubular paracrystals(PC) has provided us with a fresh and pure microtubular material demonstrating the presence of a labile ATPase associated with the PC. The present report is concerned with the fine structure of purified microtubules of mammalian cultured cells.Confluent monolayer cultures of L cells were incubated for 20hrs with 10-5 M Vb (donated from Shionogi Seiyaku & Co., Osaka, Japan).
Friction-limited cell motility in confluent monolayer tissue