QLT-0267 treatment affects microtubule dynamics in HeLa cells during mitosis.

<p>(A) QLT-0267 treatment retards the rate of microtubule regrowth during mitosis. Representative immunofluorescence images of mitotic HeLa cells stained for α-tubulin (green), centrosome (red) and chromosomes (blue). HeLa cells were treated with DMSO or QLT-0267 for 5 hours, then chilled at 4°C for 1 hour to depolymerize microtubules, before being returned to 37°C for various time-points followed by methanol fixation. Steady state: un-chilled cells. Bar = 10 µm. (B) Quantification of microtubule length at different time-points of microtubule regrowth. Results represent mean ± S.D., N = 40 (4 longest microtubules per cell, 10 cells per condition). (C) ILK inhibition increases microtubule stability during mitosis. Representative images of HeLa cells treated with DMSO or QLT-0267 were stained for acetylated α-tubulin (green), total α-tubulin (red) and chromosomes (blue). QLT-0267-treated cells show a higher proportion of acetylated α-tubulin relative to the total amount of α-tubulin when compared to normal prometaphase cells. Bar = 10 µm. (D) Quantification of the integrated density of acetylated α-tubulin relative to total α-tubulin. Results represent mean ± S.E.M., N = 15 (DMSO prometaphase), 20 (DMSO metaphase), 20 (QLT-0267).