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EFFECT OF SUBLETHAL DOSES OF CADMIUM, INORGANIC MERCURY AND METHYLMERCURY ON THE CELL MORPHOLOGY OF AN INSECT CELL LINE (AEDES ALBOPICTUS, C6/36)

✍ Scribed by BART BRAECKMAN; CAROLINE SIMOENS; URSZULA RZEZNIK; HILDA RAES


Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
1997
Tongue
English
Weight
272 KB
Volume
21
Category
Article
ISSN
1065-6995

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✦ Synopsis


The effect of CdCl 2 (44 ), HgCl 2 (3.7 ), and MeHgCl (2 ) on the morphology of Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells was studied at the light microscopical level. Treatment times and metal concentrations were in the sublethal range as determined by a fluorometric dye exclusion test. The three metal species had profound effects on the cell morphology. MeHgCl treatment induced the development of a large number of short, actin-supported, tangled filopodia. Both CdCl 2 and HgCl 2 induced long extensions. Pretreatment with colchicine but not with cytochalasin B prevented formation of these extensions which suggests that they were supported by microtubules. This was confirmed by immunostaining for microtubules. The extensions were relatively stable towards colchicine post-treatment. To authors' knowledge, this effect has not yet been described for heavy metals. The similarity with 20-hydroxyecdysone-treated cells and the occurrence of cytoplasmic feet in insect cells is discussed.