Summary
Studies have been made of whether actin filaments and microtubules are involved in the chloroplast division ofClosterium ehrenbergii (Conjugatae). Fluorostaining with rhodamine-phalloidin showed 5 types of localization of F-actin: (1) cables of actin filaments running in the cortical cytoplasm along the cell's long axis, (2) condensed actin filaments at the septum, (3) perinuclear distribution of actin filaments, (4) F-actins in a “marking pin-like” configuration adjacent to the nucleus of semicells just before completion of chloroplast kinesis, and (5) actin filaments girdling the isthmus of the constricted and dividing chloroplasts. Cytochalasin D (CD) at a concentration of 6 to 25 μM caused significant disruption of actin filaments and the arrest of chloroplast kinesis, nuclear division, septum formation and cytoplasmic streaming within 3 to 6h. Chloroplast kinesis and cytoplasmic streaming recovered when cells were transferred to the medium without CD after CD treatment, or were subjected to prolonged contact with CD for more than 9h. In these cells there was a coincidental reappearance of actin filaments. A tubulin inhibitor, amiprophos-methyl at 330 μM, did not inhibit chloroplast kinesis but did inhibit division and positioning of the nucleus. These results suggest that actin filaments do play a role in the mechanism of chloroplast kinesis but that microtubules do not appear to be involved in the process.
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Abbreviations
- APM:
-
amiprophos-methyl
- CD:
-
cytochalasin D
- DAPI:
-
4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole
- DIC:
-
Nomarski differential interference contrast
- DMSO:
-
dimethyl sulfoxide
- Rh-Ph:
-
rhodamine-phalloidin
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Hashimoto, H. Involvement of actin filaments in chloroplast division of the algaClosterium ehrenbergii . Protoplasma 167, 88–96 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01353584
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01353584