It has been proposed previously that latrunculin A, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, delays the onset of anaphase by causing spindle misorientation in fission yeast. However, we show that Delta mto1 cells, which are defective in nucleation of cytoplasmic microtubules, have profoundly misoriented spindles but are not delayed in the timing of sister chromatid separation, providing compelling...

This study involved a campaign to isolate and study additional latrunculin analogues from two taxonomically unrelated sponges, Cacospongia mycofijiensis and Negombata magnifica. A total of 13 latrunculin analogues were obtained by four different ways, reisolation (1-4), our repository (5, 6), new derivatives (7-12), and a synthetic analogue (7a). The structures of the new metabolites were eluci...

Cross-linking of FcepsilonRI on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells initiates a signaling cascade leading to degranulation of the cells and the release of inflammatory mediators. Inhibitors that disrupt microfilaments, such as latrunculin and cytochalasin D, do not cause any degranulation on their own, but they do enhance FcepsilonRI-mediated degranulation. Dose-response studies show a good cor...

We explored a potential structural and functional link between filamentous actin (F-actin) and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)Rs) in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Using immunocytochemistry, F-actin and type 2 and 3 IP(3)Rs (IP(3)R2 and IP(3)R3) were identified in a cellular compartment immediately beneath the apical plasma membrane. In an effort to demonstrate that IP(3)R distr...

We have generated 9 site-specific mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin. These mutants display a variety of phenotypes when expressed in vivo, including slow actin filament turnover, slow fluid-phase endocytosis, and defects in actin organization. Actin mutation D157E confers resistance to the actin-sequestering drug, latrunculin A. Latrunculin A inhibits nucleotide exchange on wild-type ...

We have recently reported that disruption of the actin cytoskeleton enhanced N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated granule exocytosis in human neutrophils but decreased plasma membrane expression of complement receptor 1 (CR1), a marker of secretory vesicles. The present study was initiated to determine if reduced CR1 expression was due to fMLP-stimulated endocytosis, to dete...

Precise measurement of the mechanical properties of a cell provides useful information about its structural organization and physiological state. It is interesting to understand the effect of individual components on the mechanical properties of the entire cell. In this study, we investigate the influence of the cytoskeletal actin on the viscoelastic properties of a cell. Actin-specific agents,...

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of the actin cytoskeleton during chemotactic peptide fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLF)-stimulated respiratory burst in human neutrophil granulocytes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured as luminol-amplified chemiluminescence (CL) and F-actin content as bodipy phallacidin fluorescence in neutrophils treated with latrunculin B or jasplakinolide, an inhibitor...