Abstract
A method is described for the measurement of intracellular volume (Vi) in cell cultures. In principle, any stable compound that neither penetrates the plasma membrane nor binds to the cells can be used to trace the total extracellular (apoplastic) volume and hence to estimate the intracellular volume. No suitable coloured or UV-absorbing compound could be found among those tested; the main problems were binding to the cell surface and/or instability in the medium. However, [14C]mannitol was an acceptable apoplastic marker, by use of which we showed that 21–47% of total packed cell volume (PCV) was intracellular, and 14–33% of total settled cell volume (SCV) was intracellular. Therefore, measurements of PCV and SCV misrepresent cell expansion to a variable extent. Cultures of Acer, Rosa, Spinacia and Zea achieved final symplastic volumes of only ∼9, ∼14, ∼6 and ∼6%, respectively, of the total suspension culture volume.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnold, WN & Lacey, JS (1977) Permeability of the cell envelope and osmotic behavior in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Bacteriol. 131: 564–571
Canny, M (1990) What becomes of the transpiration stream? New Phytol. 114: 341–368
Clelend, R (1981) Wall extensibility: hormones and wall extension. In: Tanner, W & Loewus, FA (Eds) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Vol 13B (pp 255–276). Springer Verlag, Berlin
Conway, EJ & Downey, M (1950) An outermetabolic region of the yeast cell. Biochem. J. 47: 347–355
Cosgrove, DJ & Knievel, DP (1987) The Physiology of Cell Expansion During Plant Growth. American Society of Plant Physiologists Rockville, Maryland
Dalton, CC & Street, HE (1976) The role of the gas phase in the greening and growth of illuminated cell suspension cultures of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). In Vitro 12: 485–494
Fry, SC (1980) Gibberellin-controlled pectinic acid and protein secretion in growing cells. Phytochemistry 19: 735–740
Fry, SC (1988) The Growing Plant Cell Wall: Chemical and Metabolic Analysis. Longman Scientific and Technical, Essex
Fry, SC (1989) Cellulases, hemicelluloses and auxinstimulated growth: a possible relationship. Physiol. Plant. 75: 532–536
Fry, SC & Street, HE (1980) Gibberellin-sensitive suspension cultures.Plant Physiol. 65: 472–477
Fry, SC, McDougall, GJ, Lorences, EP, Biggs, KJ & Smith, RC (1990) Oligosaccharins from xyloglucan and cellulose: modulators of the action of auxin and H+ on plant growth. In: Roberts, JA, Kirk, C & Venis, MA (Eds) Hormone Perception and Signal Transduction in Animals and Plants, Cambridge University Press (pp 285–298). The Company of Biologists Ltd., Cambridge
Lorences, EP, McDougall, GJ & Fry, SC (1990) Xyloglucan- and cello-oligosaccharides: antagonists of the growth-promoting action of H+. Physiol. Plant. 80: 109–113
Scherrer, R, Louden, L & Gerhardt, P (1974) Porosity of the yeast cell wall and membrane. J. Bacteriol. 118: 534–540
Street, HE (1977) Cell (suspension) cultures—techniques. In: Street, He (Ed) Plant Tissue and Cell Culture, 2nd edition (pp 61–102). Blackwell, Oxford
Stuart, R & Street, HE (1969) Studies on the growth in culture of plant cells. IV. The initiation of division in suspensions of stationary phase cells of Acer pseudoplatanus L. J. Exp. Bot. 20: 556–571
Thimann, KB (1969) The auxins. In: Wilkins, MB (Ed) Physiology of Plant Growth and Development (pp 3–45). McGraw-Hill, London
Wilson, SB, King, PJ & Street, HE (1971) Studies on the growth in culture of plant cells. XII. A versatile system for the large scale batch or continuous culture of plant cell suspensions. J. Exp. Bot. 21: 177–207
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lorences, E.P., Fry, S.C. Absolute measurement of cell expansion in plant cell suspension cultures. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 24, 211–215 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033479
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033479