Observations on crossed lamellar structures in the cell walls of higher plants

1954 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
AB Wardrop

Crossed lamellar structures in cell walls have been known to occur with certainty only in some green algae. A number of higher plants in which it was considered this structure might be present have been examined, and it has been demonstrated in the phloem fibres of Vinca major and the tracheidal elements of the aerial root of Alstonia spathulata. In the latter two types of crossed structure are recognized, in one bands of laterally associated microfibrils c. 0.5µ wide intersect at variable angles, whereas in the other lateral association is complete, forming a crossed lamellar structure which approaches most nearly that occurring in the algae. In the outer layer of the secondary wall of wood fibres of Eucalyptus elaeophora and E. regnans there is inconclusive evidence of a crossed structure similar to that observed in the cell walls of some vessels, which consists of a loosely formed meshwork of aggregates of microfibrils. This structure is considered to be distinct from the crossed lamellar and cross-banded structures.


IAWA Journal ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Abe ◽  
Ryo Funada

We examined the orientation of cellulose microfibrils (Mfs) in the cell walls of tracheids in some conifer species by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and developed a model on the basis of our observations. Mfs depositing on the primary walls in differentiating tracheids were not well-ordered. The predominant orientation of the Mfs changed from longitudinal to transverse, as the differentiation of tracheids proceeded. The first Mfs to be deposited in the outer layer of the secondary wall (S1 layer) were arranged as an S-helix. Then the orientation of Mfs changed gradually, with rotation in the clockwise direction as viewed from the lumen side of tracheids, from the outermost to the innermost S1 layer. Mfs in the middle layer of the secondary wall (S2 layer) were oriented in a steep Z-helix with a deviation of less than 15° within the layer. The orientation of Mfs in the inner layer of the secondary wall (S3 layer) changed, with rotation in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the lumen side, from the outermost to the innermost S3 layer. The angle of orientation of Mfs that were deposited on the innermost S3 layer varied among tracheids from 40° in a Z-helix to 20° in an S-helix.



2014 ◽  
Vol 1065-1069 ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Shuo Fu Tian ◽  
Chao Jin Lu ◽  
Yuan Wang

It is the components, living things evolution processes, development environments, distribution layers and the earliest time for coal series formation that are investigated and studied in detail based on the author’s graduation thesis, the “Geobiology” , the “China coal petrology” and the other’s some references in this paper. And it is considered that mainly two types of the Coal Series might be distinguish in the geologic history in China, respectively consisted of the lower organisms (especially the lower plants, blue-green algae) and higher organisms (especially the higher plants, pteridophyta, gymnosperms, Anthophyta). Meanwhile, the conclusions can be drawn that the development of the organisms is not only controlled by the environments, on the other hand, the environments and their sediments are also affected by the ecologies of the organisms. So the coal bed or coal series can be used as the marks of the environment explanation, perhaps having some Significances of Geobiology. In additional, the relationship with an unconformity or disconformity is discussed here, too.



1981 ◽  
Vol 194 (1) ◽  
pp. 361-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
B N Smallman ◽  
A Maneckjee

Choline acetyltransferase was demonstrated in nettles (Urtica dioica), peas (Pisum sativum), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and blue–green algae by using a Sepharose–CoASH affinity column. The column effected a 1500-fold purification of the enzyme from nettle homogenates and was required for demonstrating activity in the other higher plants. Demonstration of the enzyme in blue-green algae suggests that acetylcholine was a biochemical necessity in the earliest photosynthetic organisms.



1967 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 2131-2144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg H. Schmid ◽  
Hans Gaffron

Neither an over-all deficiency of chlorophyll, nor an increased enzymatic capacity for maximal rates, nor an unusual lamellar structure was found to change the number of quanta required for the evolution of one molecule of oxygen in healthy aurea mutants of tobacco. The average minimal quantum number remains 10 (efficiency 0.1) as in many algae and typical higher plants. Most of the time the optimal efficiency depends on the availability of some far-red radiation, particularly in the blue region of the spectrum where blue light alone is rather inefficient. These results fit an explanation offered earlier in connection with the hydrogen or acetate photometabolism of algae in far-red light.



Author(s):  
A. E. Hotchkiss ◽  
A. T. Hotchkiss ◽  
R. P. Apkarian

Multicellular green algae may be an ancestral form of the vascular plants. These algae exhibit cell wall structure, chlorophyll pigmentation, and physiological processes similar to those of higher plants. The presence of a vascular system which provides water, minerals, and nutrients to remote tissues in higher plants was believed unnecessary for the algae. Among the green algae, the Chaetophorales are complex highly branched forms that might require some means of nutrient transport. The Chaetophorales do possess apical meristematic groups of cells that have growth orientations suggestive of stem and root positions. Branches of Chaetophora incressata were examined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for ultrastructural evidence of pro-vascular transport.



2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manzar Abbas ◽  
Ilona Peszlen ◽  
Rui Shi ◽  
Hoon Kim ◽  
Rui Katahira ◽  
...  

Abstract Cellulose synthase A genes (CesAs) are responsible for cellulose biosynthesis in plant cell walls. In this study, functions of secondary wall cellulose synthases PtrCesA4, PtrCesA7-A/B and PtrCesA8-A/B were characterized during wood formation in Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray). CesA RNAi knockdown transgenic plants exhibited stunted growth, narrow leaves, early necrosis, reduced stature, collapsed vessels, thinner fiber cell walls and extended fiber lumen diameters. In the RNAi knockdown transgenics, stems exhibited reduced mechanical strength, with reduced modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE). The reduced mechanical strength may be due to thinner fiber cell walls. Vessels in the xylem of the transgenics were collapsed, indicating that water transport in xylem may be affected and thus causing early necrosis in leaves. A dramatic decrease in cellulose content was observed in the RNAi knockdown transgenics. Compared with wildtype, the cellulose content was significantly decreased in the PtrCesA4, PtrCesA7 and PtrCesA8 RNAi knockdown transgenics. As a result, lignin and xylem contents were proportionally increased. The wood composition changes were confirmed by solid-state NMR, two-dimensional solution-state NMR and sum-frequency-generation vibration (SFG) analyses. Both solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and SFG analyses demonstrated that knockdown of PtrCesAs did not affect cellulose crystallinity index. Our results provided the evidence for the involvement of PtrCesA4, PtrCesA7-A/B and PtrCesA8-A/B in secondary cell wall formation in wood and demonstrated the pleiotropic effects of their perturbations on wood formation.



2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Dalgaard Mikkelsen ◽  
Jesper Harholt ◽  
Bjørge Westereng ◽  
David Domozych ◽  
Stephen C. Fry ◽  
...  

AbstractThe charophycean green algae (CGA or basal streptophytes) are of particular evolutionary significance because their ancestors gave rise to land plants. One outstanding feature of these algae is that their cell walls exhibit remarkable similarities to those of land plants. Xyloglucan (XyG) is a major structural component of the cell walls of most land plants and was originally thought to be absent in CGA. This study presents evidence that XyG evolved in the CGA. This is based on a) the identification of orthologs of the genetic machinery to produce XyG, b) the identification of XyG in a range of CGA and, c) the structural elucidation of XyG, including uronic acid-containing XyG, in selected CGA. Most notably, XyG fucosylation, a feature considered as a late evolutionary elaboration of the basic XyG structure and orthologs to the corresponding biosynthetic enzymes are shown to be present in Mesotaenium caldariorum.



1955 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
AB Wardrop ◽  
HE Dadswell

The cell wall organization, the cell wall texture, and the degree of lignification of tension wood fibres have been investigated in a wide variety of temperate and tropical species. Following earlier work describing the cell wall structure of tension wood fibres, two additional types of cell wall organization have been observed. In one of these, the inner thick "gelatinous" layer which is typical of tension wood fibres exists in addition to the normal three-layered structure of the secondary wall; in the other only the outer layer of the secondary wall and the thick gelatinous layer are present. In all the tension wood examined the micellar orientation in the inner gelatinous layer has been shown to be nearly axial and the cellulose of this layer found to be in a highly crystalline state. A general argument is presented as to the meaning of differences in the degree, of crystallinity of cellulose. The high degree of crystallinity of cellulose in tension wood as compared with normal wood is attributed to a greater degree of lateral order in the crystalline regions of tension wood, whereas the paracrystalline phase is similar in both cases. The degree of lignification in tension wood fibres has been shown to be extremely variable. However, where the degree of tension wood development is marked as revealed by the thickness of the gelatinous layer the lack of lignification is also most marked. Severity of tension wood formation and lack of lignification have also been correlated with the incidence of irreversible collapse in tension wood. Such collapse can occur even when no whole fibres are present, e.g. in thin cross sections. Microscopic examination of collapsed samples of tension wood has led to the conclusion that the appearance of collapse in specimens containing tendon wood can often be attributed in part to excessive shrinkage associated with the development of fissures between cells, although true collapse does also occur. Possible explanations of the irreversible shrinkage and collapse of tension wood fibres are advanced.





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