Microtubular protein impairment by pentanal and hexanal.

Pentanal and hexanal are some of the aldehydes produced by lipid peroxidation, that causes damage to several subcellular structures. Lipoperoxidation products may directly attack cytoskeleton structures, the integrity of which is required for secretion mechanisms, e.g. 4-hydroxy-alkenals after microtubular integrity and function. Purified microtubular protein incubated with pentanal and hexanal at different concentrations revealed a tubulin-aldehyde interaction affecting the polymerization reaction and the colchicine-binding activity. These reactions apparently do not involve sulphydryl groups, and the addition of mercaptoethanol does not protect microtubules from the action of aldehydes, the effect of which is however more homogeneous, as only small differences can be noticed among the various aldehyde concentrations used.