A novel bioassay system for antimitotic agents using unicellular organisms

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560416
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Chemical biology
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: ANDO Motonori 岡山大学, 教育学研究科(研究院), 教授 (20222789)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ISHIKAWA Teruhiko 岡山大学, 大学院教育学研究科, 准教授 (10263617)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 微小管 / 有糸分裂阻害剤 / 単細胞培養系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study provides a novel bioassay system for antimitotic agents using unicellular organisms. Heliozoon cells have many stiff and radiating axopodia, each containing a bundle of axonemal microtubules as a cytoskeleton. A flow-through type chamber was developed in this study. Heliozoon cells were more adherent to the glass coverslip then the plastic one, indicating that the substrate material influences sensitivity of this bioassay system. The axonemal microtubules were more sensitive to epothilones, a new class of microtubule-stabilizing agents with a paclitaxel-like mechanism of action. In addition, the axonemal microtubules labeled with the fluorescent paclitaxel were detected in viable heliozoon cells. These results indicate that heliozoon cells can be used as an effective in-vivo tool to screen novel microtubule-affecting agents with anti-tumor activity.

Free Research Field

生理学