Summary
Measurements of cytoplasmic streaming inChara rhizoids were made by a streak-photography method combined with dark-field illumination. The velocity of cytoplasmic streaming in the acropetal direction was faster than in the basipetal direction. The difference in the streaming velocities in both morphological directions was apparently due to endogenous forces. In addition to this, a small difference attributable to gravity was superimposed if the rhizoid was oriented parallel to the gravity vector. The difference in the endogenous forces underlying the oppositely directed streams may be as high as about 12-fold the force imposed by gravity but, on average, it is about 5-fold the gravity force. In the normal vertical position of the rhizoid, this endogenously generated difference is enhanced by the gravity effect. In contrast to the variability of streaming rate due to endogenous forces, the effect of the gravity force is relatively uniform. The difference between acropetal and basipetal streaming velocities is perpetuated over the whole range of lowered velocities after treatment with cytochalasin B. After prolonged incubation in cytochalasin B, the basipetal streaming stops earlier than the acropetal streaming. A difference in the length of filaments on both sides of the streaming machinery in rhizoids is proposed as the structural basis for the difference in velocities.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Allen, N. S., 1976: Undulating filaments inNitella endoplasm and motive force generation. In: Cell Motility (Goldman, R.,Pollard, T.,Rosenbaum, J., eds., pp. 613–621. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
—, 1980: Cytoplasmic streaming and transport in the Characean algaNitella. Can. J. Bot.58, 786–796.
—, 1981: Motility. J. Cell Biol.91, 148s-155s.
Bottelier, H. P., 1934: Über den Einfluß äußerer Faktoren auf die Protoplasmaströmung in derAvena-Koleoptile. Amsterdam: de Bussy.
Breckheimer-Beyrich, H., 1949: Über die Wirkung zentrifugaler Kräfte auf das Protoplasma vonNitella flexilis. Ber. dtsch. bot. Ges.62, 55–60.
Brown, S. S., Spudich, J. A., 1981: Mechanism of action of cytochalasin: evidence that it binds to actin filament ends. J. Cell Biol.88, 487–491.
Chen, J. C. W., 1973: Observations of protoplasmic behavior and motile protoplasmic fibrils in cytochalasin B treatedNitella rhizoid. Protoplasma77, 427–435.
—,Kamiya, N., 1975: Localization of myosin in the internodal cell ofNitella as suggested by differential treatment with N-ethylmaleimide. Cell, Structure and Function1, 1–9.
Donaldson, J. G., 1972: The estimation of the motive force for protoplasmic streaming inNitella. Protoplasma74, 329–344.
Ewart, A. J., 1903: On the physics and physiology of protoplasmic streaming in plants. Oxford: Clarendon.
Forsberg, C., 1965: Nutritional studies ofChara in axenic cultures. Physiol. Plant.18, 275–290.
Hayashi, T., 1957: Some aspects of behavior of the protoplasmic streaming in plant cells. Bot. Mag. (Tokyo)70, 168–174.
Hejnowicz, Z., Sievers, A., 1981: Regulation of the position of statoliths inChara rhizoids. Protoplasma108, 117–137.
Kamitsubo, E., 1980: Cytoplasmic streaming in Characeen cells: role of subcortical fibrils. Can. J. Bot.58, 760–765.
Kamiya, N., 1950: The rate of the protoplasmic flow in the myxomycete plasmodium. I. Cytologia15, 183–193.
—, 1959: Protoplasmic streaming. Protoplasmatologia VIII/3a. Wien: Springer.
—, 1981: Physical and chemical basis of cytoplasmic streaming. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol.32, 205–236.
—,Kuroda, K., 1958: Measurement of the motive force of the protoplasmic rotation inNitella. Protoplasma50, 144–148.
Kersey, Y. M., Hepler, P. K., Palevitz, B. A., Wessels, N. K., 1976: Polarity of actin filaments in Characean algae. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.73, 165–167.
Kessler, J. O., 1979: Gravity sensing, polar transport and cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells. The Physiologist, Suppl.22, S-47–S-48.
Koop, H.-U., Kiermayer, O., 1980: Protoplasmic streaming in the giant unicellular green algaAcetabularia mediterranea. II. Differential sensitivity of movement systems to substances acting on microfilaments and microtubuli. Protoplasma102, 295–306.
MacLean-Fletcher, S., Pollard, T. D., 1980: Mechanism of action of cytochalasin B on actin. Cell20, 329–341.
Mustacich, R. V., Ware, B. R., 1976: A study of protoplasmic streaming inNitella by laser Doppler spectroscopy. Biophysic. J.16, 373–388.
Nagai, R., Hayama, T., 1979: Ultrastructure of the endoplasmic factor responsible for cytoplasmic streaming inChara internodal cells. J. Cell Sci.36, 121–136.
—, 1977: Differential treatment ofChara cells with cytochalasin B with special reference to its effect on cytoplasmic streaming. Exp. Cell Res.108, 231–237.
Nagai, R., Rebhun, L. J., 1966: Cytoplasmic microfilaments in streamingNitella cells. J. Ultrastruct. Res.14, 571–589.
Nothnagel, E. A., Barak, L. S., Sanger, J. W., Webb, W. W., 1981: Fluorescence studies on modes of cytochalasin B and phallotoxin action on cytoplasmic streaming inChara. J. Cell Biol.88, 364–372.
—,Webb, W. W., 1982: Hydrodynamic models of viscous coupling between motile myosin and endoplasm in Characean algae. J. Cell Biol.94, 444–454.
Pollard, T. D., Craig, S. W., 1982: Mechanisms of actin polymerization. Trends in Biochem. Sci.7, 55–58.
Sattelle, D. B., Buchan, P. B., 1976: Cytoplasmic streaming inChara corallina studied by laser light scattering. J. Cell Sci.22, 633–643.
Seagull, R. W., Heath, J. B., 1980: The differential effects of cytochalasin B on microfilament populations and cytoplasmic streaming. Protoplasma103, 231–240.
Sievers, A., Volkmann, D., 1979: Gravitropism in single cells. In: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, N.S., Vol. 7: Physiology of Movements (Haupt, W., Feinleib, M. E., eds.), pp. 567–572. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer.
Tazawa, M., 1968: Motive force of the cytoplasmic streaming inNitella. Protoplasma65, 207–222.
Volkmann, D., Sievers, A., 1979: Graviperception in multicellular organs. In: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, N.S., Vol. 7: Physiology of Movements (Haupt, W., Feinleib, M. E., eds.), pp. 573–600. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer.
Williamson, R. E., 1975: Cytoplasmic streaming inChara: a cell model activated by ATP and inhibited by cytochalasin B. J. Cell Sci.17, 655–668.
—, 1979: Filaments associated with the endoplasmic reticulum in the streaming cytoplasm ofChara corallina. Europ. J. Cell Biol.20, 177–183.
—, 1980: Actin in motile and other processes in plant cells. Can. J. Bot.58, 766–772.
Yamaguchi, M., Nakamura, T., Sekine, T., 1973: Studies on the fast reacting sulfhydryl group of skeletal myosin A: Conversion to smooth muscle myosin type with N-ethylmaleimide treatment. Biochim. biophys. Acta328, 154–165.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hejnowicz, Z., Buchen, B. & Sievers, A. The endogenous difference in the rates of acropetal and basipetal cytoplasmic streaming inChara rhizoids is enhanced by gravity. Protoplasma 125, 219–229 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281241
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281241