Question

Taxol is a drug that prevents monomer’s cycling by stabilizing the microtubules thus using up free tubulin in the cytoplasmic pool.

Colchicine inhibits the addition of these tubulin monomers to growing tubulin

Cytochalasin D inhibits actin polymerization

Q: Predict what effect these drugs will have on cilia length and the actin cytoskeleton.

Answer 1

The length of the cilium is regulated by the cell through largely unknown mechanisms.actin depolymerization or stabilization and protein kinase A activation result in a rapid elongation of the primary cilium. The effects of pharmacological agents on cilia length are associated with a subsequent increase in soluble tubulin levels and can be impaired by depletion of soluble tubulin with taxol. Treating serum-starved cells with taxol alone did result in an increase in the frequency of cells lacking cilia