Antibodies against vertebrate microfilament proteins in the analysis of cellular motility and adhesion.

Microinjection of specific antibodies can be an alternative and a supplement to genetic engineering in dissecting the function of individual cytoskeletal components. In this report, we describe some of the requirements for using this technique, its potential application in conjunction with morphological and biochemical analyses, and its limitations. Examples are given for the injection of antibodies to alpha-actinin, vinculin and myosin, and the effects of such treatment on adhesion, motility and cytokinesis of the recipient cells.