Abstract
We have used both steady electric fields, and gradients of the divalent ionophore, A23187, to control the point at which rhizoids emerge from spores of the common moss Funaria hygrometrica. The spores were grown in a medium containing calcium nitrate as the only major salt. Spores tend to form rhizoids towards the positive electrode, with a half maximal response to a difference of 4–8 mV across each cell. They also tend to form rhizoids towards the end of higher ionophore concentration in response to A23187 gradients. Both of these responses are the same at pH 5.5 and 8.0. Our tentative explanation is that Funaria spores tend to form rhizoids where most calcium enters. However, the point of chloronema emergence is scarcely affected by steady fields of up to 45 mV/cell. Moreover, when steady fields are applied across already developed rhizoids or chloronemata, their subsequent growth is directed towards the negative electrode in both cases, with rhizoids giving a 50% response at only 3—5 mV/cell, and chloronemata being less responsive.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bentrup, F.W.: Die Morphogenese pflanzlicher Zellen im elektrischen Feld. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 59, 309–339 (1968)
Heitz, E.: Die keimende Funaria-Spore als physiologisches Versuchsobjekt. Ber. dtsch. Bot. Gen. 60, 17–27 (1942)
Jaffe, L.F.: Tropic responses of zygotes of the Fucaceae to polarized light. Exp. Cell Res. 15, 282–299 (1958)
Jaffe, L.F.: Electrophoresis along cell membranes. Nature 265, 600–602 (1977)
Jaffe, L.F., Etzold, H.: Tropic responses of Funaria spores to red light. Biophys. J. 5, 715–742 (1965)
Peng, H.B., Jaffe, L.F.: Polarization of fucoid eggs by steady electric fields. Develop. Biol. 53, 277–284 (1976)
Pfeiffer, D.R., Lardy, H.A.: Ionophore A23187: The effect of H+ concentration on complex formation with divalent and monovalent cations and the demonstration of K+ transport in mitochondria mediated by A23187. Biochemistry 15, 935–943 (1976)
Pfeiffer, D.R., Reed, P.W., Lardy, H.A.: Ultraviolet and fluorescent spectral properties of the divalent cation ionophore A23187 and its metal ion complexes. Biochemistry 13, 4007–4014 (1974)
Ridgway, E.B., Gilkey, J.C., Jaffe, L.F.: Free calcium increases explosively in activating medaka eggs. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 623–627 (1977)
Robinson, K.R., Jaffe, L.F.: Transcellular ion movements and growth localization in fucoid eggs and other cells, In: Water Relations in Membrane Transport in Plants and Animals, pp. 15–29, Jungreis, A.M., Hodges, T.K., Kleinzeller, A., Schultz, S.G., eds. New York: Academic Press 1977
Steinhardt, R.A., Epel, D.: Activation of sea urchin eggs by a calcium ionophore. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 1915–1919 (1974)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
From Tsung-Hsien Chen's Ph.D. thesis, Purdue University
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, TH., Jaffe, L.F. Forced calcium entry and polarized growth of Funaria spores. Planta 144, 401–406 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380114
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380114