An ultrastructural and Nomarski-interference study of the sperms of barley

1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
David D. Cass

Male gametes of barley are small cells with conspicuous nuclei and compact cytoplasm. The cytoplasm is limited by a unit membrane. Between sperm and vegetative cell unit membranes is a thin, relatively homogeneous region which failed to stain with common cell wall specific reagents at the light microscope level. Cytoplasmic contents include mitochondria, ribosomes, dictyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and microtubules. Microtubules occur nearly around the entire periphery of a transected sperm, sometimes occurring in clusters of up to 16 tubules. Their chief orientation is longitudinal. No plastids or plastid-like organelles were observed. Chromatin in the nucleus is condensed; when present, there are two nucleoli. Living sperms observed with Nomarski-interference optics exhibited marked cytoplasmic activity, but no directional motility. Observed transitions from spindle-shaped to more spherical sperms could be facilitated by changes in disposition of sperm microtubules.

1972 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-129
Author(s):  
P. ECHLIN

The final stages of Helleborus pollen-grain ontogeny, which culminate in maturation and germination of the grain, have been investigated at the ultrastructural level. Following the deposition of primary and secondary exine, and during the early stages of intine formation, the microspore passes through a vacuolate phase, in which the cytoplasm appears devoid of most organelles other than the prominent nucleus. The formation of the vacuole results in the displacement of the nucleus to one side of the pollen grain. The vacuole quickly disappears and a number of organelles reappear in the cytoplasm, in particular the dictyosomes and strands of endoplasmic reticulum, with associated grey bodies. Following mitotic division of the pollen grain, the first signs of the generative cell wall appear as a pair of tightly appressed unit membranes in the narrow strand of cytoplasm separating the two newly formed generative and vegetative nuclei. As development proceeds, the space between the two membranes gradually fills with an electron-transparent material similar to the substance found in the numerous dictyosome-derived vesicles which, together with the endoplasmic reticulum, are both closely associated with the developing cell wall. The generative cell wall fuses with the cellulosic intine, which has gradually increased in amount during these stages, and the cell division is complete. The smaller generative cell contains a prominent nucleus and a small amount of cytoplasm devoid of plastids and most other organelles. The larger vegetative cell also contains a prominent nucleus and a large amount of cytoplasm containing amyloplasts, mitochondria, dictyosomes and endoplasmic reticulum, and abundant ribosomes, many of which are in a polysome configuration. The final stages in development are characterized by a progressive decrease in the amount of starch in the vegetative cell and an increase in the size of grey bodies, many of which are invested in multilayered shrouds of endoplasmic reticulum. The generative cell wall disappears and a multivesicular/granular body gradually appears at the periphery of the pollen grain. The granular-vesicular material, which is formed from the dictyosomes and/or the degenerating plastids, is thought to represent metabolic reserves necessary for pollen-tube formation. One or more pollen tubes emerge from the apertural sectors of the pollen grain, and maturation of the grain is complete.


Author(s):  
Alan N. Hodgson

The hermaphrodite duct of pulmonate snails connects the ovotestis to the fertilization pouch. The duct is typically divided into three zones; aproximal duct which leaves the ovotestis, the middle duct (seminal vesicle) and the distal ovotestis duct. The seminal vesicle forms the major portion of the duct and is thought to store sperm prior to copulation. In addition the duct may also play a role in sperm maturation and degredation. Although the structure of the seminal vesicle has been described for a number of snails at the light microscope level there appear to be only two descriptions of the ultrastructure of this tissue. Clearly if the role of the hermaphrodite duct in the reproductive biology of pulmonatesis to be understood, knowledge of its fine structure is required.Hermaphrodite ducts, both containing and lacking sperm, of species of the terrestrial pulmonate genera Sphincterochila, Levantina, and Helix and the marine pulmonate genus Siphonaria were prepared for transmission electron microscopy by standard techniques.


1959 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Gordon Whaley ◽  
Hilton H. Mollenhauer ◽  
Joyce E. Kephart

Maize root tips were fixed in potassium permanganate, embedded in epoxy resin, sectioned to show silver interference color, and studied with the electron microscope. All the cells were seen to contain an endoplasmic reticulum and apparently independent Golgi structures. The endoplasmic reticulum is demonstrated as a membrane-bounded, vesicular structure comparable in many aspects to that of several types of animal cells. With the treatment used here the membranes appear smooth surfaced. The endoplasmic reticulum is continuous with the nuclear envelope and, by contact at least, with structures passing through the cell wall. The nuclear envelope is characterized by discontinuities, as previously reported for animal cells. The reticula of adjacent cells seem to be in contact at or through the plasmodesmata. Because of these contacts the endoplasmic reticulum of a given cell appears to be part of an intercellular system. The Golgi structures appear as stacks of platelet-vesicles which apparently may, under certain conditions, produce small vesicles around their edges. Their form changes markedly with development of the cell.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C Haines ◽  
Stephen Stern ◽  
Jennifer Hall ◽  
Anil Patri ◽  
Scott McNeil

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3013-3019
Author(s):  
P Meaden ◽  
K Hill ◽  
J Wagner ◽  
D Slipetz ◽  
S S Sommer ◽  
...  

Yeast kre mutants define a pathway of cell wall (1----6)-beta-D-glucan synthesis, and mutants in genes KRE5 and KRE6 appear to interact early in such a pathway. We have cloned KRE5, and the sequence predicts the product to be a large, hydrophilic, secretory glycoprotein which contains the COOH-terminal endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, HDEL. Deletion of the KRE5 gene resulted in cells with aberrant morphology and extremely compromised growth. Suppressors to the KRE5 deletions arose at a frequency of 1 in 10(7) to 1 in 10(8) and permitted an analysis of deletions which were found to contain no alkali-insoluble (1----6)-beta-D-glucan. These results indicate a role for (1----6)-beta-D-glucan in normal cell growth and suggest a model for sequential assembly of (1----6)-beta-D-glucan in the yeast secretory pathway.


1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-449
Author(s):  
J. BURGESS ◽  
E. N. FLEMING

The process of cell wall regeneration around cultured protoplasts isolated from tobacco mesophyll has been examined by electron microscopy. The initially formed wall contains 2 components which stain with conventional heavy metal stains. The first consists of un-branched fibres, at first oriented at right angles to the plasmalemma surface. As wall growth proceeds the fibres lengthen and assume an orientation parallel to the plasmalemma. It seems probable that this component is cellulose. The second component of the wall is more amorphous and more densely stained. It is most frequently seen in situations where leaching of materials into the medium would be expected to be minimal. The endoplasmic reticulum and the plasmalemma are the only membrane systems which appear to contribute towards wall formation. No pattern of structure has been detected to explain the orientation or method of synthesis of the microfibrillar part of the wall.


1965 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 795-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lothar Diers

The formation and maturation of the egg of the liverwort, Sphaerocarpus donnellii, was investigated by light, phase contrast and particularly by electron microscopy. The division of the central cell into the egg and the ventral canal cell, and the maturation of the egg, is completed within four days. All stages of this formation and maturation were examined under the electron microscope after fixation in KMnO4 or OsO4. — In the maturing egg there always occur the endoplasmic reticulum, well recognisable plastids with a poorly developed lamellar system, numerous mitochondria and dictyosomes, a rising number of lipid droplets, unknown small bodies limited by a unit membrane, and numerous ribosomes. During maturation the nucleus considerably enlarges and forms evaginations into the cytoplasm. Starch is increasingly deposited in the plastids. A degeneration of plastids has not been found.


1966 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1495-1503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Ehrlich ◽  
Howard G. Ehrlich

The ultrastructure of the mycelium of both Phytophthora infestans and P. parasitica is consistent with that reported for other Oomycetes. A distinct plasmalemma, porate nuclei, tubular endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria with tubular cristae, Golgi dictyosomes, and lipid bodies are present within the protoplast. The haustoria produced by P. infestans in the leaves of susceptible potato varieties consist of an expanded haustorial head surrounded by a fungus wall which is continuous with the wall of the intercellular mycelium. The haustorium lacks the long narrow stalk or neck often associated with this organ, and there is considerable cytoplasmic continuity between the haustorium and the intercellular mycelium. All P. infestans haustoria observed were anucleate and generally contained only a few mitochondria and sparse endoplasmic reticulum. The haustorium is enclosed in an encapsulation surrounded by a membrane which is continuous with the host plasmalemma. There is no evidence, around any portion of the haustorium, of a sheath originating from the cell wall of the host. A survey of the current literature on the ultrastructure of the Eumycotinia shows that the parasitic fungi exhibit no unique cytoplasmic features when compared with non-parasitic fungi, and the ultrastructure of the haustoria-producing facultative saprophyte is similar to that of the obligate parasites.


1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 1401-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Cronshaw

Cambial derivatives of Acer rubrum have been examined at stages of their differentiation following fixation in 3% or 6% glutaraldehyde with a post fixation in osmium tetroxide. At early stages of development numerous free ribosomes are present in the cytoplasm, and elements of the endoplasmic reticulum tend to align themselves parallel to the cell surfaces. The plasma membrane is closely applied to the cell walls. During differentiation a complex system of cytoplasmic microtubules develops in the peripheral cytoplasm. These microtubules are oriented, mirroring the orientation of the most recently deposited microfibrils of the cell wall. The microtubules form a steep helix in the peripheral cytoplasm at the time of deposition of the middle layer of the secondary wall. During differentiation the free ribosomes disappear from the cytoplasm and numerous elements of rough endoplasmic reticulum with associated polyribosomes become more evident. In many cases the endoplasmic reticulum is associated with the cell surface. During the later stages of differentiation there are numerous inclusions between the cell wall and the plasma membrane.


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