Cytochalasins primarily affect cells by interfering with actin polymerization. Actin is a fundamental component of the cytoskeleton, involved in maintaining cell shape, enabling cell movement, and facilitating cell division. By disrupting actin filament dynamics, cytochalasins can alter cell morphology, inhibit cell division, and induce apoptosis. This makes them valuable tools in cell biology research but also highlights their potential toxicological risks.
