The effects of applied electric fields on Micrasterias. I. Morphogenesis and the pattern of cell wall deposition

Applied electric fields of approximately 14 V/cm have profound effects on the morphogenesis of the unicellular green alga, Micrasterias denticulata. This field corresponds to a potential drop of 15-40 mV across lobes oriented perpendicular to the applied field. These lobes show a galvanotropism toward the cathode. Lobes growing parallel to the field are stunted to varying degrees, depending on their orientation. As shown by other investigators, most cell wall material is normally deposited at the tips of growing lobes. If, however, cell expansion is osmotically inhibited in electric fields, wall material also accumulates along the cathode-facing (CF) sides of lobes oriented perpendicular to the field. Similarly, in cells growing under the influence of an applied field, radioactively labelled glucose and the methyl groups from methionine are incorporated along the CF sides of lobes as well as the lobe tips. This is also true when the label is added immediately after cells are removed from the fields, indicating that the wall-depositing machinery itself has been temporarily altered by the field. These results demonstrate that applied electric fields can be a valuable tool in elucidating the mechanisms of growth localization in Micrasterias cells.