Aphidicolin induces alterations in Golgi complex and disorganization of microtubules of HeLa cells upon long-term administration.

Treatment of HeLa cells with aphidicolin at 5 or 0.5 microg/ml induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S or G2/M phase, respectively, and was accompanied by unbalanced cell growth. Long-term administration of aphidicolin (more than 48 h) resulted in noticeable loss of reproductive capacity though cells were viable at the time of treatment. Immunofluorescence with anti-Golgi membrane protein monoclonal antibody (mAbG3A5) showed disfigurement of the characteristic mesh-like configuration when cells were treated for more than 48 h. Interestingly, we found that the fragmented Golgi complex formed a ring around the nucleus in more than 20% of the cells. Immunoelectron microscopy using mAbG3A5 antibody demonstrated that the stack structure of the fragmented Golgi complex in aphidicolin-arrested cells appeared partially broken up and seemed to have converted to a vesicle-like structure. Analysis using an antibody to tubulin and anticentrosome human autoimmune serum showed that alterations in the Golgi complex were induced even by the lower 0.5 microg/ml dose. These alterations were accompanied by both changes in the distribution of microtubules and an increase in the number of centrosomes. These cells lost their distinct perinuclear microtubule organizing center (MTOC). On the other hand, treatment with aphidicolin at 5 microg/ml did not induce multiplication of the centrosome although the loss of distinct MTOC was still evident. No changes took place in the Golgi complex, microtubule, or centrosome of cells treated with 0.5 microg/ml aphidicolin when cycloheximide was added simultaneously to the culture.