Effect of colcemid on the locomotory behaviour of fibroblasts

Effects of metaphase inhibitors (colcemid, colchicine, vinblastine) on mouse and human embryonic, fibroblast-like cells growing on glass and on an oriented substrate (fish scale) were studied. All three inhibitors caused similar changes in the form of interphase cells and inhibited their directional locomotion. The effects of two inhibitors (colcemid and vinblastine) were found to be completely reversible. Microcinematographic studies have shown that the most conspicuous change of locomotory behaviour induced by colcemid was the disappearance of non-active stable parts of the cell edge; in normal cells only the leading part of the edge was actively moving, while in colcemid-treated cells all parts of the edge eventually became active. Activation of the whole edge made these cells unable to perform directional translocation. It is suggested that colcemid and other metaphase inhibitors prevent stabilization of the non-active state of the cell surface. The possible role of this suggested colcemid-sensitive stabilization mechanism in the normal locomotory behaviour of fibroblasts is discussed. Electron-microscopic examination has shown that microtubules disappeared from the cytoplasm of colcemid-treated, mouse, fibroblast-like cells. The formation of microtubules as the possible structural basis of the stabilization of the non-active state of the cell surface is discussed.