Skip to main content

Plasma-membrane rosettes in root hairs of Equisetum hyemale

Planta volume 163, pages 350–359 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Particle arrangement in the plasma membrane during cell wall formation was investigated by means of the double-replica technique in root hairs of Equisetum hyemale. Particle density in the protoplasmic fracture face of the plasma membrane was higher than in the extraplasmic fracture face. Apart from randomly distributed particles, particle rosettes were visible in the PF face of the plasma membrane. The rosettes consisted of six particles arranged in a circle and had an outer diameter of approx. 26 nm. No gradient in the number of rosettes was found, which agrees with micrifibril deposition taking place over the whole hair. The particle rosettes were found individually, which might indicate that they spin out thin microfibrils as found in higher-plant cell walls. Indeed microfibril width in these walls, measured in shadowed preparations, is 8.5±1.5 nm. It is suggested that the rosettes are involved in microfibril synthesis. Non-turgid cells lacked microfibril imprints in the plasma membrane and no particle rosettes were present on their PF face. Fixation with glutaraldehyde caused, probably as a result of plasmolysis, the microfibril imprints to disappear together with the particle rosettes. The PF face of the plasma membrane of non-turgid hairs sometimes showed domains in which the intramembrane particles were aggregated in a hexagonal pattern. Microfibril orientation during deposition will be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Abbreviations

EF:

extraplasmic fracture face

PF:

protoplasmic fracture face

References

  • Berlin, R.D., Caron, J.M., Oliver, J.M. (1979) Microtubules and the structure and function of cell surfaces. In: Microtubules, pp. 443–485, Roberts, K., Hyams, J.S., eds. Academic Press, London New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Branton, D., Bullivant, S., Gilula, N.B., Karnoosky, M.J., Moor, H., Mühlethaler, K., Northcote, D.H., Parker, L., Satir, B., Satir, P., Staehelin, L.A., Steere, R.L., Weinstein, R. (1975) Freeze etching nomenclature. Science 190, 54–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Crèvecoeur, M., Deltour, R., Bronchart, R. (1982) Quantitative freeze-fracture study of plasmalemma and nuclear envelope of Zea mays root cells during early germination. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 80, 1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Davey, M.R., Mathias, R.J. (1979) Close-packing of plasma membrane particles during wall regeneration by isolated higher plant protoplasts: fact or artefact. Protoplasma 100, 85–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Emons, A.M.C. (1982) Microtubules do not control microfibril orientation in a helicoidal cell wall. Protoplasma 113, 85–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Emons, A.M.C., Wolters-Arts, A.M.C. (1983) Cortical microtubules and microfibril deposition in the cell wall of root hairs of Equisetum hyemale. Protoplasma 117, 68–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Giddings, T.H., Brower, D.L., Staehelin, L.A. (1980) Visualization of particle complexes in the plasma membrane of Micrasterias denticulata associated with the formation of cellulose fibrils in primary and secondary cell walls. J. Cell Biol. 84, 327–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Haigler, C., Brown, R.M. Jr., Benziman, M. (1980) Calcofluor white alters the in vivo assembly of cellulose microfibrils. Science 210, 903–906

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath, I.B., Seagull, R.W. (1982) Oriented cellulose fibrils and the cytoskeleton: a critical comparison of models. In: The cytoskeleton in plant growth and development, pp. 163–182, Lloyd, C.W., ed. Academic Press, London New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Herth, W. (1980) Calcofluor white and Congo red inhibit chitin microfibril assembly of Poteriochromonas: evidence for a gap between polymerization and microfibril formation. J. Cell Biol. 87, 442–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Herth, W. (1983) Arrays of plasma membrane rosettes involved in cellulose microfibril formation of Spirogyra. Planta 159, 347–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Herth, W., Hausser, J. (1984) Chitin and cellulose fibrillogenesis in vivo and their experimental alteration. Proc. 7th Ann. Symp. in Botany, University of California, Riverside, pp. 89–119, Dugger, W.M., Bartnicki-Garcia, S., eds. Waverley Press, Baltimore, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  • Itoh, T., Brown, R.M., Jr. (1984) The assembly of cellulose microfibrils in Valonia macrophysa Kütz. Planta 160, 372–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, C. (1980) Spinning yarns about plant cells. Nature 284, 596–597

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, S.C. (1982) Cellulose-microfibril assembly and orientation in higher plant cells with particular reference to seedlings of Zea mays. In: Cellulose and other natural polymer systems, pp. 87–103, Brown, R.M., Jr., ed. Plenum Press, New York London

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, S.C., Brown, R.M., Jr. (1980) Evidence for an intramembrane component associated with a cellulose microfibril synthesizing complex in higher plants. J. Cell Biol. 84, 315–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, S.C., Brown, R.M., Jr. (1982) The control of cellulose microfibril deposition in the cell wall of higher plants. I. Can directed membrane flow orient cellulose microfibrils? Indirect evidence from freeze-fractured plasma membranes of maize and pine seedlings. Planta 154, 489–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, S.C., Brown, R.M., Jr., Scott, T.K. (1976) Cellulose microfibrils: nascent stages of synthesis in a higher plant cell. Science 194, 949–951

    Google Scholar 

  • Oleson, P. (1980) The visualization of wall-associated granules in thin sections of higher plant cells: occurrence, distribution morphology and possible role in cell wall biogenesis. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 96, 35–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Preston, R.D. (1974) The physiological biology of plant cell walls. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiss, H.D., Schnepf, S., Herth. W. (1984) The plasma membrane of the Funaria caulonema tip cell: morphology and distribution of particle rosettes and the kinetics of cellulose synthesis. Planta 160, 428–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Robenek, H., Peveling, E. (1977) Ultrastructure of the cell wall regeneration of isolated protoplasts of Skimmia japonica Thunb. Planta 136, 135–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, D.G., Quader, H. (1982) The microtubule-microfibril syndrome. In: The cytoskeleton in plant growth and development, pp. 109–126, Lloyd, C.W., ed. Academic Press, London New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnabl, H., Vieken, J., Zimmermann, U. (1980) Regular arrays of intramembranous particles in the plasmalemma of guard cell and mesophyll cell protoplasts of Vicia faba. Planta 148, 231–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Schröter, K., Sievers, A. (1971) Wirkung der Turgorreduktion auf den Golgi-apparat und die Bildung der Zellwand bei Wurzelhaaren. Protoplasma 72, 203–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Sjolund, R.D., Shih, C.Y. (1983) Freeze-fracture analysis of phloem structure in plant tissue cultures. II. The sieve element plasma membrane. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 82, 189–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Staehelin, L.A., Giddings, T.H. (1982) Membrane-mediated control of cell wall microfibrillar order. In: Developmental order: its origin and regulation, pp. 133–147, Subtelny, S., Green, P.B., eds. Liss, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Traas, J.A. (1984) Visualization of the membrane bound cytoskeleon and coated pits of plant cells by means of dry cleaving. Protoplasma 119, 212–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkmann, D. (1983) A freeze-fracture study on the differentiation of Golgi and plasma membranes in plant cells. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 30, 258–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkmann, D. (1984) The plasma membrane of growing root hairs is composed of zones of local differentiation. Planta 162, 392–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Wada, M., Staehelin, L.A. (1981) Freeze-fracture observations on the plasma membrane, the cell wall and the cuticle of growing protonemata of Adiantum capillus-veneris L. Planta 151, 462–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, M.J., Northcote, D.H. (1980) Plasma membrane ultrastructure during plant protoplast plasmolysis, isolation and wall regeneration: a freeze-fracture study. J. Cell Sci. 42, 401–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Willison, J.H.M. (1983) The morphology of supposed cellulose synthesizing structures in higher plants. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 37, 91–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Willison, J.H.M., Klein, A.S. (1982) Cell-wall regeneration by protoplasts isolated from higher plants. In: Cellulose and other natural polymer systems, pp. 61–85, Brown, R.M., Jr., ed. Plenum Press, New York London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, NL-6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Anne Mie C. Emons

Authors
  1. Anne Mie C. Emons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Emons, A.M.C. Plasma-membrane rosettes in root hairs of Equisetum hyemale . Planta 163, 350–359 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395143

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395143

Key words

  • Cellulose microfibril
  • Equisetum (root hair)
  • Plasma membrane rosette