Summary
The thylakoids of two cryptomonads,Chroomonas sp. andCryptomonas sp., were examined in thin sections and freeze-fracture preparations. The thylakoids of both species were organized into stacks of typically 2 thylakoids, with regions of adhesion evident between adjacent membranes. The stacked membranes had a higher EF particle density (EFs face) than unstacked membranes (EFu face). However, no differences in size between EFs and EFu particles was observed; both faces had 15 nm particles. Two types of PF faces were observed in stacked membranes, a PFs face and a PFs1 face. The PFs1 face was identical to the PFu face. These results suggest that there is partial segregation of photosystem II into stacked membranes and photosystem I into unstacked membranes. However, the extent to which segregation occurred varied between the two species, as indeed did other aspects of thylakoid organization.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J. M., 1982: The significance of grana stacking in chlorophyllb-containing chloroplasts. Photochem. Photobiophys.3, 225–241.
Andersson, B., Anderson, J. M., 1980: Lateral heterogeneity in the distribution of chlorophyll-protein complexes of the thylakoid membranes of spinach chloroplasts. Biochim. biophys. Acta593, 426–439.
Armond, P. A., Staehelin, L. A., Arntzen, C. J., 1977: Spatial relationship of photosystem I, photosystem II and the light-harvesting complex in chloroplast membranes. J. Cell Biol.73, 400–418.
Bisalputra, T., Bailey, A., 1973: The fine structure of the chloroplast envelope of a red alga,Bangia fusco-purpurea. Protoplasma76, 443–454.
Bourdu, R., Lefort, M., 1967: Structure fine observée en cryodéeapáge, des lamelles photosynthétiques des Cyanophycées endosymbiotiques:Glaucocystis nostochincarum Itzigs, etCyanophora paradoxa Korschikoff. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser. D.265, 37–40.
Branton, D., Bullivant, S., Gilula, N. B., Karnovsky, M. J., Moor, H., Mülethaler, K., Northcote, D. H., Packer, L., Satir, P., Speth, V., Staehelin, L. A., Steere, R. L., Wein-Stein, R. S., 1975: Freeze-etch nomenclature. Science190, 54–56.
Cox, G., Dwarte, D. M., 1981: Freeze-etch ultrastructure of aProchloron species — the symbiont ofDidemnum molle. New Phytol.88, 427–438.
Dwarte, D. M., Vesk, M., 1982a: Cytochemical localization of biliproteins with silicotungstic acid. J. Microscopy126, 197–200.
— —, 1982b: Freeze-fracture thylakoid ultrastructure of representative members of “chlorophyll c” algae. Micron13, 325–326.
Gantt, E., Edwards, M. R., Provasoli, L., 1971: Chloroplast structure of theCryptophyceae: Evidence for phycobiliproteins within intrathylakoidal spaces. J. Cell Biol.48, 280–290.
Giddings, T. H., Withers, N. W., Staehelin, L. A., 1980: Supramolecular structure of stacked and unstacked regions of the photosynthetic membranes ofProchloron sp., a prokaryote. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.77, 352–356.
—,Staehelin, L. A., 1979: Changes in thylakoid structure associated with the differentiation of heterocysts in the cyanobacterium.Anabaena cylindrica. Biochim. biophys. Acta546, 373–382.
Glazer, A. N., Cohen-Bazire, G., Stanier, R. Y., 1971: Characterization of phycoerytherin from aCryptomonas sp. Arch. Microbiol.80, 1–18.
Golecki, J. R., 1979: Ultrastructure of the cell wall and thylakoid membranes of the thermophilic cyanobacteriumSynechoccus lividus under the influence of temperature shifts. Arch. Microbiol.120, 125–133.
Goodenough, U. W., Staehelin, L. A., 1971: Structural differentiation of stacked and unstacked chloroplast membranes. Freeze-etch electron microscopy of wild-type and mutant strains ofChlamydomonas. J. Cell Biol.48, 594–619.
Greenwood, A. D., 1974: TheCryptophyta in relation to phylogeny and photosynthesis. Abs. 8th Int. Cong. E.M., Canberra, pp. 556–557.
Haxo, F. T., Fork, D. C., 1959: Photosynthetically active accessory pigments in Cryptomonads. Nature184, 1051–1052.
Jeffrey, S. W., 1976: The occurrence of chlorophyll c1 and c2 in algae. J. Phycol.12, 349–354.
Lichtlé, C., 1979: Effects of nitrogen deficiency and light of high intensity onCryptomonas rufescens (Cryptophyceae) 1. Cell and photosynthetic apparatus transformations and encystment. Protoplasma101, 283–299.
—,Thomas, J. C., 1976: Etude ultrastructurale des thylacoides des algues á phycobiliproteines, comparison des résultats obtenus par fixation classique et cryodécapage. Phycologia15, 393–404.
McDonnel, A., Staehelin, L. A., 1980: Adhesion between liposomes mediated by the chlorophylla/b light-harvesting complex isolated from chloroplast membranes. J. Cell Biol.84, 40–56.
Miller, K. R., Staehelin, L. A., 1973: Fine structure of the chloroplast membranes ofEuglena gracilis as revealed by freeze-cleaving and deep-etching techniques. Protoplasma77, 55–78.
Neushul, M., 1970: A freeze-fracture study of the red algaPorphyridium. Amer. J. Bot.57, 1231–1239.
Simpson, D. J., 1979: Freeze-fracture studies on barley pastid membranes. III. Location of the light-harvesting chlorophyll II-protein. Carlsberg Res. Commun.44, 305–336.
Staehelin, L. A., 1976: Reversible particle movements associated with stacking and restacking of chloroplast membranesin vitro. J. Cell Biol.71, 136–158.
—,Giddings, T. H., Badami, P., Kryzmowski, W. W., 1978: A comparison of the supramolecular archecture of the photosynthetic membranes of blue-green, red and green algae and of higher plants. In: Light Transducing Membranes (Deamer, D. W., ed.), p. 336. New York: Academic Press.
Sweeney, B. M., 1981: Freeze-fracture chloroplast membranes ofGonyaulax polyedra (Pyrrophyta). J. Phycol.17, 95–101.
Vesk, M., Jeffrey, S. W., 1977: Effects of blue-green light on photosynthetic pigments and chloroplast structure in unicellular algae from six classes. J. Phycol.13, 280–288.
Wollman, F. A., 1979: Ultrastructural comparison ofCyanidium caldarium wild type and a mutant lacking phycobilisomes. Plant Physiol.63, 375–381.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dwarte, D., Vesk, M. A freeze-fracture study of cryptomonad thylakoids. Protoplasma 117, 130–141 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01288351
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01288351