Lack of effects of microtubule poisons on the 93D or 93D-like heat shock puffs in Drosophila

Abstract

In view of the specific inducibility of the 93D heat shock (HS) puff of D. melanogaster by colchicine [Lakhotia & Mukherjee, Indian J Exp Biol, 22 (l984) 67], salivary glands of different species of Drosophila have been exposed to several other microtubule (MT) poisons. viz. cold shock, chloral hydrate. diamide, podophyllotoxin, vinblastin, griseofulvin and nocodazcle to examine the inducibility of 93D or 93D-like puff. It is observed that except cold shock, none of the other MT poisons induces the 93D or 93D-like puff. Podophylloioxin, a comperiuve inhibitor of colchicine binding to microtubules, fails to counter the induction ofthe 93D pull by colchicine. Thus it appears that induction of the 93D puff by colchicine treatment is not due to its direct effects on microtubules.