Inhibition of Collagen Secretion from Bone and Cultured Fibroblasts by Microtubular Disruptive Drugs

Collagen synthesis in chick-embryo frontal bone and 3T3 fibroblasts from mice was measured by incorporation in vitro of [(14)C]proline into collagenase-digestible material. About 15-25% of the collagen synthesized by the frontal bone in 60 min, and 60% of that synthesized by the fibroblasts in 2 hr, was found to be soluble in the culture medium. The microtubular disruptive drugs colchicine and vinblastine, at 10 muM, inhibited collagen secretion in both systems almost completely. Formation of collagen hydroxyproline from proline was not inhibited by these drugs. Cytochalasin B, which impairs microfilament function, had no effect on collagen secretion. Our results support the theory that collagen is transported in vesicles to the cell membrane, where it is secreted. This conclusion is based on the similarity of the collagen-secreting system to other systems in which the movement of secretory vesicles or storage granules is inhibited by microtubule disruption.