Organizational fate of vimentin during redistribution of surface immunoglobulin in mouse splenic lymphocytes.

We have used immunofluorescence to examine the organizational fate of vimentin and its spatial relationship to the microtubule system during antibody-induced redistribution of surface immunoglobulin (sIg) in control and drug-treated mouse splenic lymphocytes. In control cells, vimentin is relocalized as a diffuse accumulation underneath the site of the cap during sIg redistribution. Observations on cells that were treated with colcemid or taxol prior to induction of sIg redistribution have further shown that vimentin accumulation corresponds to a dynamic rearrangement of this filamentous system which is related to, but is not required for, the energy-dependent translocation of sIg.