TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE TAKAHASHI TSUJI'S LABORATORY

ATLL type multilobulated nucleus formation is induced by the microtubule rearrangement

ATLL type multilobulated nucleus indicated the morphology that bound with a string from the outside of nucleus. We then focused on the cytoskeleton which can form the fibriform structure within the cytoplasm.

Our subsequent findings clearly demonstrated that microtubules were bundled, which then appeared to contract the nuclei and thus induce the formation of small lobules by the 3D analyses with confocal microscopy (left figure a). Ring-like organizations of microtubules were also observed in T cells isolated from one acute-type ATLL patient (left figure b). These results indicated that microtubule was clearly involved in the ATLL type multilobulated nucleus formation.