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Structure and development of the cryptomonad periplast: A review

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Summary

The structure and development of the complex periplast, or cell covering, of cryptomonads is reviewed. The periplast consists of the plasma membrane (PM) plus an associated surface periplast component (SPC) and cytoplasmic or inner periplast component (IPC). The structure of the SPC and IPC, and their association with the PM, varies considerably between genera. This review, which concentrates on cryptomonads with an IPC of discrete plates, discusses relationships between periplast components and examines the development of this unique cell covering. Formation and growth of inner plates occurs throughout the cell cycle from specialized regions termed anamorphic zones. Crystalline surface plates, which comprise the SPC in many cryptomonad species, appear to form by self-assembly of disorganized subunits. InKomma caudata the subunits are composed of a high molecular weight glycoprotein that is produced within the endomembrane system and deposited onto the cell surface within anamorphic zones. The self-assembly of subunits into highly ordered surface plates appears closely associated with developmental changes in the underlying IPC and PM.

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Author notes

  1. S. J. Brett

    Present address: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, W. Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA

  2. L. Perasso

    Present address: Botanisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Federal Republic of Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 3052, Parkville, Vic, Australia

    S. J. Brett, L. Perasso & R. Wetherbee

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  1. S. J. Brett
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  2. L. Perasso
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  3. R. Wetherbee
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Brett, S.J., Perasso, L. & Wetherbee, R. Structure and development of the cryptomonad periplast: A review. Protoplasma 181, 106–122 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666391

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666391

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