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Autonomous circular and radial motions of the nucleus inPleurenterium tumidum and their relation to cytoskeletal elements and the plasma membrane

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Summary

InPleurenterium tumidum the nucleus leaves its central position at the end of cell development and moves centrifugally towards the cortical cytoplasm of the isthmus area. It passes between the chloroplast lobes and starts to perform circular motions along the cell wall ring of the isthmus independently from other cell organelles and cytoplasmic streaming. This autonomous nuclear motion is a unique phenomenon in plant cells which is reported here for the first time. One turn of the nucleus which may occur either clockwise or counter-clockwise lasts an average of 60 minutes. The velocity of circular nuclear motion lies between 0.03 and 0.08 μm per second and increases with increasing number of nuclear turns. The nucleus undergoes at least 12 but sometimes up to 70 turns and may change its direction of motion several times. When circular nuclear motion is finished the nucleus migrates centripetally towards the cell center where the next mitosis takes place.

Ultrastructural studies demonstrate that a distinct arrangement of the plasma membrane forming a ring-shaped fold together with the adjacent “isthmus system of microtubules” (IS) serves as a hoop-like track for the nucleus during the stage of circular motion. The nucleus moves along this track by surrounding it in a deep furrow which develops parallel to its longitudinal axis at its cell wall facing side. The spatial arrangement of the plasma membrane fold and the nuclear furrow are only present during the stage of circular nuclear motion. No actin filaments seem to be involved in the nuclear circulations since the nucleus continues its circular motions after cytochalasin B (CB) treatment even at concentrations which arrest cytoplasmic streaming. Amiprophos-methyl (APM) leads to an inhibition of circular nuclear motion which resumes when the APM solution is removed. Microtubules appear to be primarily responsible also for both the radial nuclear motions as well as the anchoring of the nucleus in its central position. The meaning of circular and radial nuclear motions for thePleurenterium cell is not yet clear, a relation between the nuclear behavior and the inner cell architecture is discussed and compared to that of other desmids.

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  1. Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie der Universität Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria

    Ursula Meindl

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Meindl, U. Autonomous circular and radial motions of the nucleus inPleurenterium tumidum and their relation to cytoskeletal elements and the plasma membrane. Protoplasma 135, 50–66 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01277052

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