Effects of taxol on microtubule organization and on capping of surface immunoglobulin in mouse splenic lymphocytes

Abstract

Abstract We have used immunofluorescence staining and electron microscopy to examine the effects of the microtubule assembly-promoting drug taxol on the organization of microtubules and on the capping of surface immunoglobulin. In untreated lymphocytes, with an intact microtubule system, the cap is formed over the region of the cell containing the centrosome. Taxol treatment results in increased assembly and extensive reorganization of the microtubule system to form one to a few large bundles extending from the centrosome. Taxol treatment does not inhibit capping, but caps are formed at any position on the cell surface with respect to the centrosome. In addition, taxol relieves the inhibition of immunoglobulin capping caused by concanavalin A.