Spinning of a gigantic bundle of hollow fibrils by a spirally moving higher plant protoplast

Abstract

A unique fiber spinning was found in protoplasts from white birch (Betula platyphylla) leaves under an acidic medium containing high concentration of Ca(2+). After expanding from 10 to 100 microm in diameter under the culture condition, the protoplast started secreting a gigantic fiber while moving in a spiral way. Real time video analyses elucidated that the orientation, rate and pattern of the motion were directed due to the inverse force of the fiber spinning. Moreover, observation using several microscopic methods accompanied with histochemical staining and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis indicated that the fiber was composed of 400-500 nm wide (1-->3)-beta-glucan hollow sub-fibrils. This entire phenomenon may be a response against the stress imposed. The observation presented provides an understanding of the unique relationship between fiber spinning and the bottom-up fiber fabrication from nano to micro scales.

Morphological responses of Betula protoplasts in fiber spinning

“…Then, 200 mM CaCl 2 was added to the culture medium under acidic conditions adjusted to pH 3.5 as a stressed condition (Kondo et al 2000;Seyama et al 2008). The cell density was adjusted to ca.…”

“…A stressed culture condition was found to induce fiber spinning in a higher plant protoplast (Kondo et al 2000;Sasamoto et al 2003;Fukumoto et al 2004Fukumoto et al , 2005Seyama et al 2008). The stress was triggered by a high concentration of Ca 2q ions added to a modified culture medium, MS, as described by Murashige and Skoog (1962) at pH 3.5 instead of pH 5.8 of normal culture conditions.…”

“…Protoplasts isolated from leaves of white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukatchev var. japonica) under stress conditions exhibited cell expansion and secreted a gigantic bundle of hollow fibrils directly into the medium (Seyama et al 2008). Under these circumstances, cell division was inhibited.…”

Secretory production of cell wall components by Saccharomyces cerevisiae protoplasts in static liquid culture

“…Also, a unique fiber was produced by protoplasts from B. platyphylla leaves in an acidic medium containing a high concentration of Ca 2? (Seyama et al 2008). In culture, after expanding from 10 to 100 lm in diameter, the B. platyphylla protoplasts started secreting a gigantic fiber while moving in a spiral (Seyama et al 2008).…”

“…In culture, after expanding from 10 to 100 lm in diameter, the B. platyphylla protoplasts started secreting a gigantic fiber while moving in a spiral (Seyama et al 2008). This phenomenon provides an understanding of the unique relationship between fiber spinning and the bottom-up fiber fabrication from the nano to the micro scale (Seyama et al 2008). We investigated whether this phenomenon can be utilized for the efficient production of CWC.…”