Scaffold of the Cell Flashcards
What are the3 major types of protein filament in the cytoskeleton?
- actin microfilaments
- tubulin microfilaments
- intermediate filaments
What are the roles of microtubules in cells?
- maintain cell shape
- swimming and surface movement of fluids
- formation of the mitotic spindle
- tracks for movement of vesicles organelles, proteins
What is tubulin?
-a dimer made out of α and beta tubulin subunits
What can each dimer of tubulin bind to?
2 GTP molecules
What gives tubulin polarity?
the GTP on beta tubulin being hydrolysed
How does the polymerisation of microtubulins occur?
- tubulin monomers from dimers
- the dimers polymerise into oligomers
- oligomers grow into linear protonfilaments and Mts
- MTS elongate reversibly by adding dimers. Dimers attach to both ends of Mts but preferably at + end
what is a MTOC?
microtubule organising centr
How are MTOCs form?
formed from enucleated microtubules
Describe the growth of MTs?
microtubules may grow steadily and then shrink rapidly by loss of tubulin dimers from the + end
What are the two classes of microtubule binding drugs?
tubulin dimer binding
tubulin polymer binding
What does the action of the dimer binding microtubule drugs tend to be?
inhibit polymerisation
What is an example of a polymer binding microtubule drug and what is its action?
- taxol
- favours polymerisation
What are MT binding drugs used as?
- anti-mitotic agents
- anti-cancer agents
What is taxol used to treat?
ovarian carcinomas and advanced breast carcinomas
What is vinblastine/viscristine?
-Hodgkin’s disease
-lymphocytic lymphoma
histiocytic lymphoma
-advanced testicular cancer
-advanced breast cancer
-Kaposi’s sarcoma