Date of Completion
Spring 5-1-2008
Thesis Advisor(s)
David Knecht
Honors Major
Cell Biology
Disciplines
Cell and Developmental Biology | Cell Biology | Life Sciences
Abstract
Cellular migration is an integral component of many biological processes including immune function, wound healing and cancer cell metastasis. A complete model illustrating the mechanism by which cells accomplish movement is still lacking. Exploring the affects of various drugs on cell motility may be instrumental in discovering new proteins which mediate cell movement. This project aims ultimately to characterize the molecular target of the drug Cucurbitacin-I, a natural plant product. This drug has been shown to inhibit migration of epithelial sheets and may have anti-tumor activity.
In this paper, we show that Cucurbitacin-I inhibits the migration of MDCK and B16F1 cells. The drug also affects the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton of these cells by indirectly stabilizing filamentous actin. Cucurbitacin-I does not, however, have an effect on the motility or cytoskeletal morphology of the soil amoeba, Dictyostelium discoidium.
Recommended Citation
LaFleur, Rebecca, "Investigating the Affects of Cucurbitacin-I on Cellular Motility" (2008). Honors Scholar Theses. 33.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/33