Cotyledon cell development in Arabidopsis thaliana during reserve deposition

Abstract

Cotyledon cell development in Arabidopsis thaliana L. during reserve deposition has been analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Development has been related to the previously defined time scale for Arabidopsis, hours after flowering. Between 144 and 216 h after flowering the major cell changes in the cotyledon are an increase in the cell volume, a decrease in the volume fraction of cytoplasm and plastids, and an increase in lipid and vacuole volume fractions. The endoplasmic reticulum and dictyosome volume fractions are high during early reserve formation (144 – 168 h after flowering) but decrease significantly thereafter. Evidence as to the origin of the storage lipid is inconclusive, although a dual involvement of plastids and rough endoplasmic reticulum is a likely theory. The 3-nm lipid body membrane, which allows the bodies to retain their individuality during accumulation, is probably a half-unit biological membrane, derived from closely associated rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae. Much of the evidence obtained in this study indicates that both the endoplasmic reticulum and dictyosomes are involved in protein synthesis and transport to the vacuole. The accumulation of reserves occurs in a well-defined and relatively short period during late embryogenesis (144–216 h after flowering). Key words: Arabidopsis, cotyledons, embryogenesis, reserve deposition, stereology.