Effects of 4-hydroxynonenal on microtubular system of normal and transformed fibroblasts

By Gadoni, E. - Olivero, A. - Miglietta, A. - Gabriel, L.

Microtubules are known to be important in cell division and proliferation; however, their role in cell transformation is controversial. Cell proliferation can be inhibited by antimicrotubular drugs, and 4-hydroxynonenal, a product of lipid peroxidation with antiproliferative characteristics, is able to interact with tubulin, the main protein of microtubules. In this study, the effects of 4-hydroxynonenal on both normal and transformed cells (3T3 and SV40 transformed 3T3 fibroblasts) were examined, in order to investigate the significance of in vivo alterations of microtubules. An immunofluorescence technique was used to examine any modifications of the microtubule network, and colchicine-binding activity was assayed to determine tubulin content. Morphological observation of the microtubule network did not reveal any significant difference between normal and transformed fibroblasts; the colchicine-binding assay detected a stronger resistance in the latter cells.