Abstract
Inner mesophyll cells from coleoptiles of Zea mays L. cv. Merit were fixed after varying periods of gravistimulation. A statistically significant amount (17–21%) of amyloplast sedimentation occurred in these cells after 30 s of gravistimulation. The presentation time is approx. 40 s or less. The accumulation of amyloplasts near the new lower wall shows a linear relationship to the logarithm of the gravistimulation time (r=0.92 or higher). The intercept of this line with the baseline value of amyloplasts in vertical coleoptiles indicates that the number of amyloplasts on the new lower wall begins increasing 11–15 s after the onset of gravistimulation. Direct observations of living cells confirm that many amyloplasts sediment within less than 15–30 s. These rapid kinetics are consistent with the classical statolith hypothesis of graviperception involving the sedimentation of amyloplasts to the vicinity of the new lower wall.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Audus, L.J. (1979) Plant geosensors. J. Exp. Bot. 30, 1051–1074
Clifford, P.E. (1979 a) Amyloplast movement and the geotropic response. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 91, 69–74
Clifford, P.E. (1979 b) Significance of spontaneous bending during clinostat rotation. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 95, 465–469
Clifford, P.E., Barclay, G.F. (1980) The sedimentation of amyloplasts in living statocytes of the dandelion flower stalk. Plant Cell Environ. 3, 381–386
Dolk, H.E. (1936) Geotropism and the growth substance. Rec. Trav. Bot. Néerl. 33, 509–585
Griffiths, H.J. (1963) Physiological and cytological studies of the statolith apparatus in plants. Ph.D. thesis, University of London, UK
Haberlandt, G. (1914) Physiological plant anatomy, 4th edn., transl. by M. Drummond MacMillan, London
Hawker, L.E. (1932) A quantitative study of the geotropism of seedlings with special reference to the nature and development of their statolith apparatus. Ann. Bot. (London) 46, 121–157
Heathcote, D.G. (1981) The geotropic reaction and statolith movements following geostimulation of mung bean hypocotyls. Plant Cell Environ. 4, 131–140
Hertel, R., DelaFuente, R.K., Leopold, A.C. (1969) Geotropism and the lateral transport of auxin in the corn mutant amylomaize. Planta 88, 204–214
Hestnes, A., Iversen, T.-H. (1978) Movement of cell organelles and the geotropic curvature in roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Physiol. Plant. 42, 406–414
Iversen, T.-H., Pedersen, K., Larsen, P. (1968) Movement of amyloplasts in the root cap cells of geotropically sensitive roots. Physiol. Plant. 21, 811–819
Johnsson, A., Pickard, B.G. (1979) The threshold stimulus for geotropism. Physiol. Plant. 45, 315–319
Johnsson, A., Rengman, K., Grahm, L. (1971) Investigations of the geotropic curvature of the Avena coleoptile. II. The presentation time as a function of distance from apex. Physiol. Plant. 25, 43–47
Larsen, P. (1957) The development of geotropic and spontaneous curvatures in roots. Physiol. Plant. 10, 127–163
Larsen, P. (1965) Geotropic responses in roots as influenced by their orientation before and after stimulation. Physiol. Plant. 18, 747–765
Olsen, G.M., Iversen, T.-H. (1980) Ultrastructure and movements of cell structures in normal pea Pisum sativum cv. sabel and an ageotropic mutant. Physiol. Plant. 50, 275–284
Parker, M.L. (1979) Morphology and ultrastructure of the gravity sensitive leaf sheath base of the grass Echinochloa colonum. Planta 145, 471–477
Perbal, G. (1971) Action de la pesanteur sur la répartition des organites dans les cellules axiales centrales (statenchyme) de la coiffe du Lens culinaris L. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser. D 273, 789–792
Perbal, G. (1978) Mechanism of geoperception in lentil roots. J. Exp. Bot. 29, 631–638
Shen-Miller, J., Miller, C. (1972) Distribution and activation of the golgi apparatus in geotropism. Plant Physiol. 49, 634–639
Spurr, A.R. (1969) A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 26, 31–43
Volkmann, D., Sievers, A. (1979) Graviperception in multicellular organs. Encyclopedia of plant physiology, N.S., vol. 7: Physiology of movements, pp. 573–600, Haupt, W., Feinleib, M., eds. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sack, F.D., Suyemoto, M.M. & Leopold, A.C. Kinetics of amyloplast sedimentation in gravistimulated maize coleoptiles. Planta 161, 459–464 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394578
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394578