Cellulose microfibril deposition at the plasmalemma surface of regenerating tobacco mesophyll protoplasts: A deep-etch study

Abstract

The reappearance of cellulose microfibrils at the naked surface of protoplasts enzymatically isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. var. Xanthi) mesophyll tissue has been closely studied using the techniques of thin-sectoining and the deep-etch modification of the freeze fracture procedure.A 16 h lag period was recorded between the time of isolation and the sudden appearance of considerable lengths of cellulose microfibril at the outer protoplast surface. The microfibrils were not associated with any structured particles or apparently differentiated regions of the plasmalemma. Terminal regions of the microfibrils appeared to have tapering ends, or else be sinking into the membrane substance. There was no evidence to suggest transport of intact microfibrils in vesicles through the cytoplasm to the plasmalemma.The reported observations have been discussed with respect to the various working hypotheses which have been proposed for the 'in vivo' construction of cellulose microfibrils.