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Published on: February 10, 2023
Cellular differentiation in moss protonemata: a morphological and experimental study.
Silvia Pressel1, Roberto Ligrone, Jeffrey G Duckett
1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK. s.pressel@qmul.ac.uk
Annals of Botany
|May 30, 2008
Summary
This study details the differentiation of moss caulonemata and rhizoids, revealing cytoskeletal roles in organelle arrangement and cell structure. Key findings include the dynamic changes in endoplasmic reticulum and vacuoles, and the impact of cytoskeleton inhibitors on plastid formation.
Area of Science:
- Plant Cell Biology
- Bryophyte Development
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics
Background:
- Previous research on moss protonemal morphogenesis focused on tip growth and asexual reproduction.
- This study offers a comprehensive description of caulonemata and rhizoid differentiation, including their shared cytology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the differentiation of caulonemata and rhizoids in mosses.
- To investigate the roles of the cytoskeleton in organelle shaping and spatial arrangement during this differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Light and electron microscopy of protonemata from over 200 moss species.
- Use of oryzalin and cytochalasin D to probe cytoskeletal functions.
- Time-lapse photography to observe organelle dynamics.
Main Results:
- Differentiation involves endoplasmic reticulum (ER) changes, tonoplast disintegration, and vacuole replacement by vesicles.
- Microtubules (MTs) associate with ER, influencing organelle elongation and nuclear positioning.
- Inhibitors induced giant plastids, suggesting cytoskeletal roles in plastid arrangement and replication.
Conclusions:
- Caulonemata and rhizoid differentiation involves significant cytological changes, some mirroring tracheophyte sieve element ontogeny.
- The mature cell cytology, dependent on microtubules, resembles moss food-conducting cells and relates to solute transport.
- Giant plastid formation highlights microtubule and microfilament roles in plastid spatial organization and replication.
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