Metabolic inhibitors and mitosis: I. Effects of dinitrophenol/deoxyglucose and nocodazole on the live spindle

Summary Dinitrophenol and deoxyglucose (DNP/DOG) were used to investigate the effects of ATP depletion on mitotic PtK₁ cells. Direct determination of cellular ATP levels showed that the drop of ATP induced by DNP/DOG was rapid; recovery to normal ATP levels was equally rapid once DNP/DOG was removed. On addition of DNP/DOG to live cells, cytoplasmic activity ceased; interphase and prophase cells showed little other response to DNP/DOG. During prometaphase, DNP/DOG induced a pronounced movement of oscillating, monopolar chromosomes towards the spindle poles. As chromosomes became bipolarly attached, DNP/DOG caused the spindle poles themselves to move together. By metaphase, DNP/DOG-treatment led to significant shortening of the spindle which remained intact. DNP/DOG rapidly stopped anaphase chromosome movement and cytokinesis.Nocodazole (NOC) caused the rapid breakdown of the mitotic spindle; prometaphase chromosomes clustered at the poles and in metaphase cells, the poles were drawn towards the chromosomes as the spindle became disorganized. When cells were pretreated with DNP/DOG and then NOC/DNP/DOG, nocodazole did not break down the spindle. When nocodazole was applied first to break down spindle MTs then DNP/DOG was added to the nocodazole, a second contraction was often induced by the DNP/DOG in the absence of spindle microtubules (MTs). Chromosomes expanded appreciably outwards from the poles when the DNP/DOG was removed, even when the cells remained in nocodazole.