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Some New Aspects of Mitotic Poisoning

Nature volume 159, pages 794–797 (1947)Cite this article

Abstract

A PROPERTY of many chemical compounds, both organic and inorganic, is to disturb or destroy cells during cell division or when division is about to begin. Two well-known examples are colehicine, which arrests mitosis at metaphase by depriving the spindle of its normal properties, and trypaflavine (3 : 6-diamino-10-methylacridine hydro-chloride), which prevents the onset of prophase and leads to extensive nuclear and cellular degeneration1. There are undoubtedly close relations between these two types of activity, since colehicine induces in the lymphoid tissues of mammals extensive damage similar to that which led to the discovery of the properties of trypaflavine2. A great amount of work has been done on colehicine, following the observation of its polyploidy-inducing properties in plants3, and numerous substances having similar effects on plant -cells have now been described4. Experimental work on mice recently pursued with the purpose of investigating the nature of the action of ethylcarbamate (urethane) on malignant growth5 and in leukaemia in man6 has led to the discovery of new mitotic poisons of comparatively simple chemical constitution7. This fact, and some other recent advances in this field, makes possible a fresh discussion of the mechanism of mitotic poisoning and of some recently proposed theories.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Chester Beatty Research Institute, The Royal Cancer Hospital (Free), London, S.W.3

    PIERRE DUSTIN

  2. Associé du Fonds National Belge de la Recherche Scientifique,

    PIERRE DUSTIN

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  1. PIERRE DUSTIN
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DUSTIN, P. Some New Aspects of Mitotic Poisoning. Nature 159, 794–797 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/159794a0

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