binosh1 Posted November 22, 2005 Share Posted November 22, 2005 Anyone tell me what effect colchicine has on cells in metaphase and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifshiztz Posted November 24, 2005 Share Posted November 24, 2005 Colchicine inhibits the formation of mitotic spindle, which effectively shuts down mitosis and cell division. During metaphase, mitotic spindle is used to move the chromosomes onto the metaphase plate. If colchicine is present, the spindle doesn't form, and the chromosomes cannot line up in the center of the cell, so the cell never ends up dividing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluenoise Posted November 24, 2005 Share Posted November 24, 2005 To be more specific it causes the depolimerization of microtubles. (mitotic spindels being microtubles.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifshiztz Posted November 24, 2005 Share Posted November 24, 2005 Well... you're right. Cholchicine binds to the tubulin dimers, which prevents them from polymerizing. Actually, it also shuts down cell movement because cilia/flagella are composed of microtubules (which is why cholchicine is used to treat gout, since it shuts down movement and division of white blood cells) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binosh1 Posted November 24, 2005 Author Share Posted November 24, 2005 Thanks very much! thats helped a lot:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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