Animal cell division processes and mechanisms

Animal Cell Division:

Colchicine and Cytochalasin B. are two substances that are commonly used in animal cell division since they are inhibitors of cell division. While colchicine is poison that binds to tubulin and prevents its gathering into microtubules, cytochalasins are compounds that bind to the end of actin filaments and prevent their elongation. Cell division is a process that is scientifically referred to as mitosis that necessitates microscopic protein fibers that act like structural cables to pull separating cells apart. While the structural cables i.e. microscopic protein fibers are known as mitotic spindles, colchicines interferes with their structure.

Generally, colchicines are widely used in human medicine against gout despite of the uncertainties surrounding this process or procedure. In this case, colchicines seem to lessen inflammation linked to urate crystal accumulation. The capability of colchicines to interfere with the seeming structural protein formation has contributed to its use in scarring illnesses and abnormal protein dispositions like hepatic cirrhosis and amyloidosis respectively ("Colchicine," par, 1). On the other hand, cytochalasins are a group of associated fungal metabolites that are related by chemical structure and characterized by a highly substituted hydrogenated insoindole ring with a macrocyclic ring attached to them. Since the macrocyclic ring tend to differ in atoms and may be a lactone or carbocycle, cytochalasins have various interesting, unusual, and characteristic impacts on the animal cell.

These two substances are mainly used as inhibitors of cell division, which is the basis of their effects or impacts on animal cell division. The main effect of colchicines on animal cell division is that they block cells undergoing division in mitosis and ultimately revert to interphase. Therefore, this substance inhibits cytoplasmic and nuclear division, which contributes to its ability and tendency to prevent or lessen DNA synthesis.

Due to the ability of colchicines to interfere with cell division and their potential side effects, they should not be used in animals for breeding. This is primarily because the substances are not only harmful to unborn animals but they will also lessen sperm production. The main side effect of colchicines on animals is nausea. The use of colchicines on animals has also generated numerous concerns regarding the toxicity of bone marrow because of the ability of these substances to interfere with cell division. Furthermore, these substances are also likely to cause urine dip stick to wrongly read positive for blood. Colchicines can not only enhance the level of alkaline phosphatase as recorded on a blood chemistry panel but also diminish the body of vitamin B-12 in certain cases.

Since cytochalasins bind actin monomers and prevents their congregation into microfilaments, the already formed microfilaments slowly depolymerize. The main effect of these substances on animal cell division is that they inhibit cytoplasmic division but do not interfere with nuclear division or DNA synthesis. As a result, these substances contribute to the accumulation of large multi-nucleate cells (Gurdon & Fairman, p. 78.). In addition to the probability of completely blocking adenosine-induced apoptotic body formation in cultured cells, these substances are also likely to lessen actin filaments through blocking the addition of monomer at the rapidly developing end of the polymer.