Karyokinesis in growing and reverting protoplasts ofSchizosaccharomyces pombe

Division of nuclei without cytokinesis proceeds in growing protoplasts ofSchizosaccharomyces pombe. Prior to regeneration of the complete cell wall and reversion the protoplasts contain 1–7 nuclei, protoplasts with 1–2 nuclei are most frequent. When regeneration of the wall is postponed by adding snail enzymes to the growth medium, protoplasts with a higher number of nuclei (2–4) occur. Multinuclear protoplasts can revert to cells. During the first cytokinesis the protoplast with the regenerated cell wall is divided into two cells by a septum, distribution of nuclei between the two cells being probably incidental. More than only a single nucleus can pass to the revertants even during the second cytokinesis. Septation of protoplasts occurs also during a partial blockage of the wall formation by the snail enzyme preparation, however, reversion to cells can never be observed here (it occurs only after transfer of protoplasts to the medium without the enzyme preparation). The growing and reverting protoplasts represent a very good model system for studying relations among individual processes of the cell cycle, primarily growth of the cell, nuclear cycle and cytokinesis. Yeast protoplasts are often utilized as models for studying morphogenic processes, relations among regeneration of the cell wall, including division of the nucleus (karyokinesis) and cytokinesis.     

Reversion of protoplasts and spheroplasts in the yeast Nadsonia elongata

Summary The time rate of regeneration of the cell wall and reversion of protoplasts of the yeast Nadsonia elongata to cells of normal shape and size has been compared with the capability for regeneration of spheroplasts of this yeast. Nearly all protoplasts in a given culture were able to regenerate new walls and had usually reverted to cells of normal appearance by the 30th h of cultivation. Spheroplasts required only half this time to do this. These results can be interpreted as evidence that regeneration of a wall by protoplasts does not depend upon the presence of a cell wall primer, because the proportion of reverting protoplasts (which lack wall remnants) was the same as that of reverting spheroplasts (which possess them). The presence of wall remnants in spheroplasts appears to have merely an accelerating effect on the formation of a new wall and on subsequent reversion of the spheroplasts to complete cells of normal shape and size.     

Inhibition of the cell wall regeneration and reversion in protoplasts ofRhizopus nigricans

During cultivation in a nutrient medium with snail gastric juice the protoplasts ofRhizopus nigricans produce an incomplete cell wall and grow. A true growth, associated with nuclear division, is involved. Morphology of growth of the formations is determined by the structure of the incomplete cell wall. When the incomplete wall is formed by a thin fibrillar net the growing formation assumes the physically optimal shape—i.e. a sphere; when the net is dense polar growth predominates. The degree of construction of the new wall depends on the activity of snail gastric juice enzymes which decreases during the cultivation. When fresh snail enzymes were added at certain intervals, only a fine fibrillar net was formed on the surface of growing protoplasts. The formations grew for up to 8 d under these conditions, reached several hundred μm in size and the number of nuclei increased up to 80-fold. When the blocking of the wall synthesis was interrupted, a complete cell wall regenerated on the surface of these giant formations and a reversion to hyphae was observed. The incomplete cell wall functions as a passive morphogenetic factor: It can influence the morphology of the growing protoplasts but it cannot induce reversion to hyphase and secure the permanent existence of these structures.     

Formation,growth, and regeneration of protoplasts of the green alga,Uronema gigas

Summary Separate protoplasts were obtained by the action of snail gut juice enzymes on the cell walls of the green algaUronema gigas. The cultivation of the protoplasts in mineral media caused only their enormous growth; in the presence of glucose a fibrillar network was formed on the surfaces of the growing protoplasts. Only after the addition of pectin the regeneration of the cell wall and the renewal of their morphogenesis could be observed.     

Regeneration of the cell wall of protoplasts of the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces versatilis in liquid media and their reversion to cells

Regeneration of the cell wall and reversion of protoplasts with a completely regenerated cell wall to cells were studied by light and electron microscopy in protoplasts of the fission yeastsSchizosaccharomyces versatilis. On their surface the protoplasts regenerated a complete new wall even m liquid media The wall regeneration began with the formation of a thin irregular net of flat bundles of long microfibrils and the net was gradually filled with aggregates of short straight microfibrils and small piles of amorphous material. Osmotically resistant organisms with regenerated walls were detected after a 4–6 h cultivation Depending on the nutrient medium used 10–80 % of protoplasts with the regenerated wall were obtained that reverted subsequently to cells. The high percentage of the wall regeneration and reversion to cells was reached by combining cultivation in a poor medium with that in a rich medium Reversion to cells could only occur after the protoplasts had regenerated rigid cell walls These walled protoplasts underwent septation, and, by polar growth, produced cylindrical cells, further dividing by fission.     

Instability of actinomadurae protoplasts generated by lytic enzyme treatment

The effect of lytic enzyme treatment upon protoplast formation and reversion in three species of Actinomadura has been determined. Incubation in the presence of lytic enzyme L2 generates large protoplasts (4 μm diameter) which remain intact for only 2h. In comparison, protoplasts formed by the degradative effects of the enzymes lysozyme and L1 are smaller (2 μm diameter), and remain stable for up to 18h. This results in a greater efficiency of regeneration. Lytic enzyme L2 has been shown to contain impurities, including proteolytic activity, which may affect cell wall regeneration.     

Formation and regeneration of protoplasts in the moldRhizopus nigricans

Wall-less protoplasts of the moldRhizopus nigricans were obtained by means of enzymic digestion of the walls of vegetative hyphae by Helix pomatia digestive juice. After removing the enzymes the protoplasts transferred to a nutrition medium regenerate. In the first stage of this process the protoplasts from a firm wall and then the hyphae begin to grow. Regeneration results in the formation of a normal mycelium. If in the course of regeneration of the protoplasts snail enzymes are present, they partially block the synthesis of the wall and the protoplasts transform into incessantly growing giant formations. Re-establishment of morphogenesis begins only after eliminating the effect of the snail enzymes.     

Microbiology in the 1990s: reflections about open questions and trends

The optimal conditions for protoplast formation ofCandida apicola were by using an enzyme fromArthrobacter sp. in combination with 2-mercaptoethanol. The kinetic data support the two-layered structure model of cell wall for this yeast but the structure of the cell wall depended on the age of cells and culture conditions. To regenerate the protoplasts, the type of osmotic stabilizer was important: sorbitol gave 16 to 30% regeneration. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of vesicles in the sections of protoplasts and whole cells ofCandida apicola grown in production medium and producing glycolipids. In sections of whole cells, vesicle-like structures are located in the periplasmic space and in protoplasts they can either be attached to, or released from, the cell surface. These vesicles are thought to be involved in the transport of the surface-active glycolipids and in the protection of the cell against denaturing effects.     

Chromosomal DNA preparation from yeasts of biotechnological importance

Summary Yeast chromosomal DNA was prepared under different conditions. Treatment of intact cells with proteinase K (1 mg/ml) resultes in appropriate electrophoretic karyotypes; when protoplasts were formed in situ, the presence of both sodium lauroylsarcosine and EDTA was essential. Further, the duration of cell wall lysis (12 h) and the concentrations of lytic enzymes (0.5% snail enzyme and 0.25% Novozym)had to be kept at a minimum.     

Optimal Cultural and Physiological Conditions for Handling Streptomyces rimosus Protoplasts

A general procedure for manipulating protoplasts of three Streptomyces rimosus strains was developed. More than 50% regeneration efficiency was obtained by optimizing the osmotic stabilizer concentrations and modifying the plating procedure. Preparation and regeneration of protoplasts were studied by both phase-contrast and electron microscopy. After cell wall degradation with lysozyme, protoplasts about 1,000 to 1,500 nm in diameter appeared. The reversion process exhibited normal and aberrant regeneration of protoplasts to hyphae and to spherical cells, respectively. Spherical cells contained no alpha, epsilon-ll-diaminopimelic acid and were colorless or red after Gram staining. They showed consistent stability during at least five subsequent subcultivations. However, the omission of glycine from the precultivation medium reduced the unusual process of regeneration almost completely. After normal protoplast regeneration, the production of oxytetracycline by single isolates was not affected.     

Comparison of cell wall regeneration on maize protoplasts isolated from leaf tissue and suspension cultured cells

Summary The cell wall regeneration on protoplasts derived from maize mesophyll cells was compared with wall regeneration on protoplasts derived from suspension cultured cells using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and mass spectrometry. The time course of cell wall regeneration has shown that the mesophyll protoplasts regenerated walls much slower than the protoplasts derived from cultured cells. Moreover, cell wall materials on the mesophyll protoplasts were often unevenly distributed. Electron microscopy has further demonstrated that the mesophyll protoplasts have less organized and compact walls than the protoplasts from cultured cells. Chemical analysis revealed that the mesophyll protoplasts had a lower ratio ofβ-(1–3)-glucan toβ-(1–4)-glucan than protoplasts from cultured cells. The significance of these results for the viability and development of protoplasts in culture is discussed. National Research Council of Canada paper no. 32458.     

Morphological and ultrastructural studies on protoplast production and reversion of the higher basidiomyceteAgaricus bisporus

Protoplasts have been isolated from young vegetative mycelia ofAgaricus bisporus by an enzyme mixture of novozym and chitinase. Protoplasts were released through ruptures in the wall, initially at the apices, but also later from older parts of the hyphae, indicating that they may lack the cell wall. The process of regeneration of these protoplasts has been investigated in liquid medium in which the protoplasts produced short chains of convoluted cells that finally produced a hypha. Electron microscopy has shown that at the start of regeneration two different kinds of fibrils were produced at the external surface of the protoplasts. Later, the thickness of the cell wall increased, and there was a deposit of amorphous material giving rise to a complete new wall.     

Mating reaction in yeast protoplasts

Protoplasts prepared from complementary haploid strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae were studied with regard to their ability of conjugating. Neither fresh protoplasts nor the growing protoplasts possessing fibrillar walls exhibited sex specific agglutination or fusion. However, they were capable of inducing sexual activation in normal cells of opposite mating type. After completing the regeneration of cell walls the protoplasts could conjugate either with each other or with cells of opposite sex. The frequency of conjugations was low, about 1%, and was largely dependent on the degree of completition of the wall during regeneration. From the results the following conclusions may be drawn: 1. The initiation of mating is dependent on the integrity of the cell wall. 2. The sex specific morphogenetic changes do not occur in wall-less protoplasts but may happen after the protoplasts have regenerated their cell walls. 3. The lysis of cell walls does not occur until the walls come into close contact. 4. The fusion of plasma membranes in sex-activated protoplasts cannot be induced by artefucial agglutination.     

Protoplast fusion — a tool for genetic manipulation and breeding in industrial microorganisms

Protoplasts can be isolated from microbial cells by enzymatic digestion of the cell wall, in the presence of an osmotic stabilizer. Such protoplasts can be induced to fuse in the presence of agents such as the poly (ethylene glycols). When suitably selected auxotrophic strains are used, the fusion products can be recovered by selection on the basis of nutritional complementation. Cultivation of the protoplasts on a hypertonic growth medium induces regeneration of new cell wall material and their subsequent reversion to the normal cell form of the organism. The protoplast fusion technique has been applied sucessfully to both bacterial and fungal systems leading to the recovery of recombinant progeny. In the fungi, the recovery of non-parental segregants from inter-species crosses has also been demonstrated. In assessing the value of the fusion technique, caution may be necessary at this stage in its application to genetic mapping in bacteria. The behaviour of protoplasts, especially with respect to reversion, could be an additional factor that operates during selection, distorting recombination frequencies. However, the fusion technique, in providing a mechanism by which genetic recombination can be readily achieved, should be of great potential in empirical breeding and strain improvement. These aspects are reviewed.     

The effect of actidione on the regeneration of yeast protoplasts

InSaccharomyces cerevisiae, actidione (cycloheximide) at a concentration of 10 μg/ml inhibits protein synthesis, cell multiplication and regeneration of protoplasts to normal cells. Resistance of cells to actidione is not determined by properties of the cell wall. The effect of actidione is rather cytostatic than cytocidal. The ability of protoplasts to regenerate is irreversibly blocked after more than 2 h incubation with actidione.     

Production of protoplasts from the fungi Curvularia inaequalis and Trichoderma reesei

Summary Protoplast formation in Curvularia inaequalis was achieved using non-commercial and commercial snail gut enzymes or Trichoderma harzianum enzymes. The cells were grown for enzyme treatment on cellophane sheets or in liquid cultures for varying periods of time. The production of T. harzianum enzymes is discussed. The highest protoplast yields were 2.6x10⁷ protoplasts/ml enzyme solution. Protoplasts were shown to have zero to four nuclei. Protoplast regeneration was succesfully carried out in semisolid agar.     

A study of cell wall regeneration of protoplasts inMarchantia polymorpha L.

Protoplasts ofMarchantia polymorpha L. were isolated from suspension cells. Regeneration of cell walls on the surface of the protoplasts began within a few hr of cultivation. New cell walls completely covered the surface of the protoplasts within 48 hr. Coumarin and 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile treatment inhibited the formation of the new cell wall. In the initial stage of cell wall regeneration, endoplasmic reticula developed remarkably close to the plasma membrane in the protoplasts, but no development of Golgi bodies was observed at the same locus. This may suggest that the Golgi bodies do not play an active role in the cell wall formation, at least not in very early periods of cell wall regeneration. The development of endoplasmic reticula and an ultrastructural change of plasma membrane from smooth to rough may be important in the cell wall formation of protoplasts.     

Erzeugung eines zellwandlytischen Enzymkomplexes aus Arthrobacter GJM-I zur Herstellung von Protoplasten aus Candia spec. H

Growing conditions have been found out for the bacterium Arthrobacter GJM-I to produce a lytic enzyme system, which converts cells of the yeast Candida spec. H to protoplasts quickly and in a good yield. Estimating the activities of α-mannanase and β-glucanase we found out the optimal culture time to gain the lytic enzyme system from the culture filtrate. It was shown that radioactive labeling of the yeast cells makes it possible to estimate quantitatively the conversion to protoplasts and the simultaneous lysis. The obtained lytic enzyme system can substitute the snail cnzyme system which was used for cell conversion of Candida spec. H to protoplasts till now.     

Isolation and Cell Wall Regeneration of Protoplasts from Botrytis cinerea Pers.

Abstract A procedure for efficient isolation and cell wall regeneration of protoplasts from Botrytis cinerea is described. Protoplasts were obtained from mycelia using a lytic enzyme mixture containing β-Glucuronidase, Cellulase R10 and Driselase with mannitol for osmotic support. The digestion of cell walls was checked by fluorescence microscopy. Protoplasts were purified from cell debris and lytic enzymes. Regeneration and reversion were performed by incubation on agar plates.     

木耳属种间杂交技术研究 Ⅰ.木耳菌丝原生质体的形成与再生

本文比较了不同酶液、渗透压稳定剂、酶解温室及菌丝培养基成份等因素对木耳属(Auricularia)中木耳(Auricularia auricula)和毛木耳(Auricularia polytricha)菌丝释放原生质体的作用及影响。用0.5%纤维素酶加0.5%蜗牛酶的混合酶液,以0.6M的MgSO_4为稳定剂,在34℃下可自两种菌丝体获得大量原生质体。对原生质体再生条件的研究表明,纤维二糖和菌丝体培养物浸提物对再生有明显促进作用,再生率达20%左右。本文还用VBL型荧光增白剂观察了菌丝脱壁以及原生质体细胞壁再生的过程。