OBSERVATIONS ON THE FINE STRUCTURE OF OEDOGONIUM. III. MICROTUBULAR ELEMENTS IN THE CHLOROPLASTS OF OE. CARDIACUM(1)...

The expansive, reticulate cliloroplasts of the filamentous green alga Oedogonium tardiacum were found to contain microtubular elements with an outside diameter of about 270 A. These microtubules have been examined in the chloroplast stroma of vegetative cells, zoospores, zoospore germlings, and eggs. They may occur singly or, more commonly, in groups or bundles of 2 to as many as 30. In longitudinal section these microtubules show a regular pattern of slightly oblique cross striations and the margins appear rough. They bear little structural resemblance to the more familiar and slightly smaller microtubules found in the cytoplasm external to the cliloroplasts. Their overall appearance suggests that each is constructed of 2 helically wound, ribbon-like units that are approximately 155-175 A broad and 45-55 A thick. The 2 units of this proposed double helix appear to lie in juxtaposition at a pitch of 17-27 deg. The dimensions of each unit, or helix, are such that it could conceivably be constructed of 3 filamentous subunits similar to those already described in the literature for other microtubular elements.