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Summary In flowering plants, cell–cell communication plays a key role in reproductive success, as both pollination and fertilization require pathways that regulate interactions between many different cell types. Some of the most critical of these interactions are those between the pollen tube (PT) and the embryo sac, which ensure the delivery of sperm cells required for double fertilization. Synergid cells function to attract thePTthrough secretion of small peptides and inPTreception via membrane‐bound proteins associated with the endomembrane system and the cell surface. While many synergid‐expressed components regulatingPTattraction and reception have been identified, few tools exist to study the localization of membrane‐bound proteins and the components of the endomembrane system in this cell type. In this study, we describe the localization and distribution of seven fluorescent markers that labelled components of the secretory pathway in synergid cells ofArabidopsis thaliana. These markers were used in co‐localization experiments to investigate the subcellular distribution of the twoPTreception componentsLORELEI, aGPI‐anchored surface protein, andNORTIA, aMILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUSO protein, both found within the endomembrane system of the synergid cell. These secretory markers are useful tools for both reproductive and cell biologists, enabling the analysis of membrane‐associated trafficking within a haploid cell actively involved in polar transport.
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Ultrastructural and elemental characterization of the extracorporeal tube of the sessile rotifer Floscularia conifera (Rotifera: Gnesiotrocha)
Abstract Rotifers are aquatic microinvertebrates that live in the plankton or in the benthos, which may include a variety of macrophytes. Among these periphytic forms of rotifers, some have taken up a sessile existence and secrete protective tubes around their bodies. One type of tube common to species ofFlosculariais made of small round pellets. To date, the building process and some fine structural details are known forFloscularia ringens, but many questions about the composition of the tube and its ultrastructure still remain unanswered. Here, we use transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) to study the ultrastructure of the pellets and their elemental composition, respectively, in the putative sister species,Floscularia conifera. We revealed several new details that add important information about the physiology of tube‐making in species ofFloscularia. First, we note an inner secretory membrane that is thin, electron lucent, and supports the external pellets. The pellets are relatively consistent in size and have a small depression on their inner surface. All pellets are individually wrapped in a secretory membrane that completely encapsulates suspended materials collected from the surrounding water. Elemental signatures of pellets reveal they consist mostly of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O), with some silicon (Si) content that is likely the result of diatom shells. Other trace elements such as iron (Fe) and sodium (Na) are also present and likely the result of incorporated bacteria and suspended materials. When larval rotifers are cultured in filtered pond water, the pellets consist mostly of C and O, with little N and no Si; Fe is present in smaller amounts. These new discoveries provide a better understanding of the physiology of rotifer tube construction and tube composition, and their future utility in understanding if and how changes in freshwater environments might impact these factors.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1257110
- PAR ID:
- 10246184
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Invertebrate Biology
- Volume:
- 137
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1077-8306
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 319-328
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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