A fungal toxin that disrupts the cell's cytoskeleton by preventing actin filaments from forming, used in research to study cell movement and structure.
From Greek 'kytos' (cell) + 'chalasis' (relaxation/slackness). Named for its effect of loosening cellular structure by disrupting the protein networks that give cells shape.
Cytochalasin is basically a molecular wrench that scientists throw into cells to disable their structural cables—by seeing what breaks when you use it, researchers learned how cells actually move and maintain their shape!
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