Pseudopodial activity at the active edge of migrating fibroblast is decreased after drug-induced microtubule depolymerization.

It is known that depolymerization of microtubules by colcemid or other similar drugs abolishes polarization of pseudopodial activity in migrating fibroblasts. In this work the effect of colcemid on the intensity of protrusion and retraction of lamellipodia at the active edges of human fibroblasts migrating into the wound was investigated with video-enhanced contrast microscopy. To characterize the pseudopodial activity quantitatively the outlines of the active edges in the pairs of frames taken at adjacent 20-sec intervals were compared and mean areas of protrusions and retractions per unit length of the perimeter of the edge were measured. The mean rates of protrusions and retractions were 4-6 times less in colcemid-treated cells than in controls. Thus, microtubules depolymerized by colcemid, and/or intermediate filaments undergoing perinuclear collapse in the presence of this drug, are essential not only for the restriction of pseudopodial activity to one particular zone of the cell edge but also for the development of maximal activity in this zone.