申論題

6.The drug Taxol, extracted from the bark of yew trees, has an opposite effect to the drug chochicine, an alkaloid form autumn crocus. Taxol binds tightly to microtubules and stabilizes them when added to cells, it causes much of the free tubulin to assemble into microtubules. In contrast, chochicine prevents microtubule formation. Taxol is just as harmful to dividing cells as chochicine, and both are used as anticancer drugs. Based on your knowledge of microtubule dynamics, suggest why both drugs are toxic to dividing cells despite their opposite action. (5%)