Neurofibrillary degeneration in cultured adult mouse neurons induced by maytansine.

The effects of maytansine, an antimitotic compound isolated from an African plant, were studied by light and electron microscopy in dissociated cell cultures of adult mouse dorsal root ganglia. Maytansine at 10-100 ng/ml concentration caused reversible, concentration-dependent, inhibition of microtubule assembly and induction of a large amount of 10 nm filaments in the cytoplasm of cultured neurons and Schwann cells.