Vacuolated plant cells as ideal osmometer: reversibility and limits of plasmolysis, and estimation of protoplasm volume in control and water-stress-tolerant cells

Abstract. The osmotic behaviour of vacuolated plant cells (adaxial epidermal cells of Allium cepa bulb scales, and epidermal as well as chloroplast containing subepidermal stem base cells of Pisum sativum) was studied over a wide range of CaCl₂ concentrations. The following results were obtained.

• a. Allium cepa and Pisum sativum plant cells behave as an ideal osmometer as far as plasmolytic contraction of the protoplast is concerned.
• b. The protoplasts of these cells could be plasmolysed to 15–45% of their original volume without the loss of membrane semi-permeability.
• c. Cells plasmolysed in 1.0 kmol m^?3 CaCl₂ could be completely deplasmolysed and upon deplasmolysis the cells resumed protoplasmic streaming.
• d. The above findings (a-c) indicate that during gradual plasmolysis and deplasmolysis membrane semi-permeability is maintained.
• e. At very high plasmolysing concentrations vacuoles covered with the tonoplast separated from the rest of the protoplasm in some cells whereas others showed systrophy. Extruded vacuoles were able to respond to osmotic shrinkage.
• f. The non-solvent space in Allium cells of about 3% also corresponded to the protoplasm volume calculated from the protoplast geometry (mean from results of direct measurement method and subtraction method).
• g. Subepidermal stem base cells of water-stress-tolerant Pisum plants had a 75% greater non-solvent space than the control cells indicating that a water-stress-tolerant cell may contain a larger amount of protoplasm and/or a vacuole with a higher content of colloidal material in the vacuole.
• h. Water-stress-tolerant cells showed greater tolerance to osmotic dehydration (volume reduction) than control cells.

     

A plasmolytic cycle: The fate of cytoskeletal elements

Summary In most plant cells, transfer to hypertonic solutions causes osmotic loss of water from the vacuole and detachment of the living protoplast from the cell wall (plasmolysis). This process is reversible and after removal of the plasmolytic solution, protoplasts can re-expand to their original size (deplasmolysis). We have investigated this phenomenon with special reference to cytoskeletal elements in onion inner epidermal cells. The main processes of plasmolysis seem to be membrane dependent because destabilization of cytoskeletal elements had only minor effects on plasmolysis speed and form. In most cells, the array of cortical microtubules is similar to that found in nonplasmolyzed states except that longitudinal patterns seen in some control cells were never observed in plasmolyzed protoplasts of onion inner epidermis. As soon as deplasmolysis starts, cortical microtubules become disrupted and only slowly regenerate to form an oblique array, similar to most nontreated cells. Actin microfilaments responded rapidly to the plasmolysis-induced deformation of the protoplast and adapted to its new form without marked changes in organization and structure. Both actin microfilaments and microtubules can be present in Hechtian strands, which, in plasmolyzed cells, connect the cell wall to the protoplast. Anticytoskeletal drugs did not affect the formation of Hechtian strands.Abbreviations DIC differential interference contrast - DiOC₆(3) 3,3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide Dedicated to Professor Walter Gustav Url on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

The relationship between cell injury and osmotic volume reduction: III. Freezing injury and frost resistance in winter wheat

In order to distinguish between several possible mechanisms of frost hardening in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cells from two hardy and two tender cultivars were plasmolyzed in CaCl₂ solution at room temperature and cell volumes estimated by microscopic examination. Analyses of Boyle-van't Hoff plots of these data reveal that all cells from cultivars progressively increase their intracellular solute concentration up to 20 days hardening. This increase, which we had predicted from published calorimetric data to be the sole mechanism of hardening explained less than half of the increase in hardening seen in the most hardy cultivar, Kharkov. Hardening also increased the osmotically inactive volume.At CaCl₂ concentrations greater than 5%, plasmolyzed protoplasts departed further from the Boyle-van't Hoff prediction, remaining larger than expected until some higher concentration of CaCl₂, where protoplast volume again sharply decreased. In all cultivars except hardened Kharkov, the concentration of CaCl₂ producing this abrupt volume decrease had a freezing point corresponding to the killing temperature. If this concentration was exceeded during plasmolysis, then the protoplasts burst during deplasmolysis at some volume less than their original volume.We interpret these data to mean that, in addition to the often described hardening mechanism of increased cell solute and water binding, winter wheat shows a third mechanism, a mechanical resistance to protoplast shrinkage which produces volumes larger than those predicted during osmotic stress. The resisting element appears to be the plasma membrane itself. Shrinkage brings the membrane under compressive stress, developing tangential pressure within it. Cell injury occurs when the cell membrane area has been reduced to the point at which irreversible loss of membrane material is inevitable. Cell death occurs during deplasmolysis when the protoplast bursts because its membrane contains insufficient material to subtend the area of the cell wall.Of the cultivars tested, hardened Kharkov was unique in avoiding injury. Hardened Kharkov was injured only after the volume inflection had been greatly exceeded. Refractile droplets of lipid appeared in the cytoplasm of hardened Kharkov protoplasts during plasmolysis but disappeared during deplasmolysis suggesting that hardy Kharkov was able reversibly to store membrane lipids in cytoplasmic vesicles and return them to the membrane on deplasmolysis.     

The site of penetration resistance to water in plant protoplasts

Summary The main purpose of this investigation was to determine the primary site of resistance to the penetration of water in the protoplasm of inner epidermal cells of theAllium cepa bulb scale. Since it is known that the tonoplast has a very high water permeability, it was left to decide whether the mesoplasm and/or the plasmalemma is the main barrier. According to a theory ofHöfler, the mesoplasm is the main barrier. Because it is not possible to isolate the plasmalemma, the influence of the mesoplasm was removed by causing rosette systrophy. In rosette systrophy, almost all of the mesoplasm is collected arround the nucleus and the tonoplast and plasmalemma lie adjacent in the greater part of the protoplast.Cells with and without systrophy are found in the same preparation but show no great difference in water permeability. The systrophied cells have even a lower water permeability constant than the non-systrophied cells. This indicates clearly that the mesoplasm is of no significant importance for water permeability, and that the primary site of penetration resistance to water is the plasmalemma.It was possible to measure the water permeability constants of tonoplasts. While the 2 K_wo values for protoplasts are approximately 6–8×10^–4 cm/sec, those for tonoplasts are about 100 times higher.The water permeability constants found with glucose solutions were essentially the same as those found in solutions of KCl + CaCl₂. Other less inert substances, such as EDTA, give different (higher) values.Using the method of partial deplasmolysis and plasmolysis, it was possible to change the protoplast volume several times, once until the eight time in K-Ca solutions and until the fifth time in glucose solutions.The water permeability constants do not change appreciably, neither in the sequential plasmolysis steps nor between deplasmolysis and plasmolysis. Yet there is a small but significant difference between deplasmolysis and plasmolysis values. The deplasmolysis values are slightly higher.In the K-Ca solutions the tonoplasts which were formed showed a linear expansion which indicates ion permeability. Permeability constants are 0.003–0.006×10^–4 cm/sec, about in the same range as those of moderate anelectrolyte permeability.     

Effect of Ferricyanide on Potassium Uptake by Intact Epidermal Tissue and Guard Cell Protoplasts

The effect of ferricyanide on K^$ fluxes in epidermis and inguard cells of Commelina communis L. were studied. Ferricyanideenhanced guard cell protoplasts swelling, which results fromenhanced K^$ uptake. In intact epidermis ferricyanide inhibitedK^$ uptake and consequently, stomatal opening. This was foundin floated and submerged epidermal tissues, indicating thatthe degree of contact with the solution does not affect theresponse to ferricyanide. Investigation of the rate of plasmolysisand de-plasmolysis of guard cells in epidermal tissue revealedthat ferricyanide enhances deplasmolysis, caused by K^$ uptake,only in completely plasmolysed cells, which resemble protoplastsin situ. (Received January 21, 1988; Accepted March 24, 1988)     

Protoplast isolation and culture from carob (Ceratonia siliqua) hypocotyls: ability of regenerated protoplasts to produce mannose-containing polysaccharides

The aim of this study was to isolate protoplasts from carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) embryonic tissues with the ability to regenerate cell walls, divide and synthesize galactomannan, a valuable polysaccharide for industry. Protoplasts isolated from carob hypocotyl hooks regenerated cell walls within 24 h. The first divisions of the regenerated cells were observed after 2 days of culture. The highest percentage that successfully divided was achieved when the seedlings were grown under diffuse light, the hypocotyl hooks were plasmolysed for 1 h before incubation in the protoplast isolation solution and the protoplasts were cultured under diffuse light. After 9 days of culture, cell clusters, consisting of eight cells, had been produced, which underwent further mitotic divisions and which were expected to lead to callus formation. Polysaccharide and oligosaccharide synthesis during protoplast regeneration was studied by radiolabelling with exogenous d ‐[U‐¹⁴C]glucose, d ‐[U‐¹⁴C]mannose or d ‐[2‐³H]mannose, which gave rise to uniform, moderately specific and highly specific labelling, respectively. As revealed by the radioactivity distribution in cell wall monosaccharides, the regenerants deposited new wall polymers that differed markedly from those being synthesized by the hypocotyls from which the protoplasts had been isolated. The regenerants deposited large amounts of callose and smaller amounts of galactose‐, arabinose‐ and mannose‐containing polymers. The latter included glucuronomannan, as demonstrated by a new method involving partial acid hydrolysis followed by β‐glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) digestion. The regenerating protoplasts also released soluble extracellular carbohydrates: polysaccharides which appeared to be mainly acidic arabinogalactans, and oligosaccharides which were mainly neutral and contained glucose, galactose and mannose. We conclude that regenerating carob protoplasts are a useful system for studying carbohydrate secretion, including mannose‐rich poly‐ and oligosaccharides.     

Analysis of amino acids in individual wheat embryonic protoplast

Summary. Amino acids analysis in single wheat embryonic protoplast was performed using capillary electrophoresis equipped with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF), combination with tissue culture technique. Reagent fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was introduced into living protoplasts by electroporation for intracellular derivatization. A special osmotic buffer (0.6 mol/L mannitol, 5 mmol/L CaCl₂) was used to keep the osmotic balance of embryonic protoplasts during the protoplasts derivatization. After completion of the derivatization reaction in the protoplasts, a single protoplast was drawn into the capillary tip by electroosmotic flow. Then a 0.1 M NaOH lysing solution was injected by diffusion. The derivatized amino acids were separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected by laser-induced fluorescence detection after the protoplast was lysed Nine amino acids were quantitatively and qualitatively determined and compared in lysate and single protoplast of wheat embryonic cells respectively, with mean concentrations of amino acids ranging from 2.68×10⁻⁵ mol/L to 18.18×10⁻⁵ mol/L in single protoplast.     

Short-term effects of Al3+ on the osmotic behavior of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) protoplasts

The short-term (less than 10 min) effects of Al³⁺ on the biophysical properties of plasma membranes were investigated by time-series image analysis of osmotically-induced volumetric and morphologic changes of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) protoplasts. Exposure to Al³⁺ under hypotonic conditions reduced the volumetric expansion of protoplasts and their resultant burst: i.e. lysis of protoplasts in a concentration-dependent manner. Under hypertonic conditions, protoplasts exposed to Al³⁺ underwent an enhanced volumetric contraction in cross-sectional area, while maintaining higher protoplast roundness. The residual effects of Al³⁺ pre-treatment on subsequent osmotic behavior were also examined, and protoplasts pre-treated with Al³⁺ also exhibited less lysis during subsequent exposure to hypotonic conditions and enhanced volumetric contractions and higher roundness under subsequent hypertonic conditions. Under our experimental conditions, Al³⁺ consistently minimized protoplast surface area by inhibiting osmotic expansion or by enhancing osmotic contraction, as well as by maintaining higher protoplast roundness. These results suggested that the electrostatic property of Al³⁺ might have induced the binding and possible cross-linking of negatively-charged sites on the plasma membrane surface. This may be an important factor in understanding the mechanism of Al³⁺ phytotoxicity.     

Isolation of Protoplasts from the Coccal Green Alga Eremosphaera viridis De Bary for Patch-clamp Measurements

A method for enzymatic isolation of protoplasts from the unicellular green alga Eremosphaera viridis for patch-clamp measurements is described. Viable protoplasts with “patch-clean” plasma membranes could only be isolated when combining high enzyme concentrations and long incubation times. In whole-cell recordings the protoplasts exhibited electrical properties similar to those measured in intact cells. Taken together with the protoplasts' ability for rapid deplasmolysis after transfer into hypotonic solution, this indicates the viability of the isolated protoplasts.     

Vesicle formation in the membrane of onion cells (Allium cepa) during rapid osmotic dehydration

Background and Aims

Optimization of osmotic dehydration in different plant cells has been investigated through the variation of parameters such as the nature of the sugar used, the concentration of osmotic solutions and the processing time. In micro-organisms such as the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the exposure of a cell to a slow increase in osmotic pressure preserves cell viability after rehydration, while sudden dehydration involves a lower rate of cell viability, which could be due to membrane vesiculation. The aim of this work is to study cytoplasmic vesicle formation in onion epidermal cells (Allium cepa) as a function of the kinetics of osmotic pressure variation in the external medium.

Methods

Onion epidermal cells were submitted either to an osmotic shock or to a progressive osmotic shift from an osmotic pressure of 2 to 24 MPa to induce plasmolysis. After 30 min in the treatment solution, deplasmolysis was carried out. Cells were observed by microscopy during the whole cycle of dehydration–rehydration.

Key Results

The application of an osmotic shock to onion cells, from an initial osmotic pressure of 2 MPa to a final one of 24 MPa for <1 s, led to the formation of numerous exocytotic and osmocytic vesicles visualized through light and confocal microscopy. In contrast, after application of a progressive osmotic shift, from an initial osmotic pressure of 2 MPa to a final one of 24 MPa for 30 min, no vesicles were observed. Additionally, the absence of Hechtian strand connections led to the bursting of vesicles in the case of the osmotic shock.

Conclusions

It is concluded that the kinetics of osmotic dehydration strongly influence vesicle formation in onion cells, and that Hechtian strand connections between protoplasts and exocytotic vesicles are a prerequisite for successful deplasmolysis. These results suggest that a decrease in the area-to-volume ratio of a cell could cause cell death following an osmotic shock.     

Induction and Characterization of Artificial Diploids from the Haploid Yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii

The yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii, which propagates as a haploid, was made into a diploid by treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the regeneration of protoplasts. The diploid state was stably inherited; the cell volume was three times that of the parent strain and the cellular DNA content was two times that of the parental strain. No essential difference was found between diploids induced by DMSO and those formed through intraspecific protoplast fusion. The diploid strains sporulated fairly well, with their cells converting directly into asci. Random spore analysis revealed that diploids induced through protoplast fusion gave rise to auxotrophic segregants (haploids) with the parental genetic marker or to segregants formed by recombination, while diploids induced by DMSO from a doubly auxotrophic parent gave rise to no recombinant, indicating that it was chromosomally homoallelic in nature. The magnesium level in the protoplast regeneration medium was found to be an important factor for inducing diploid formation. At 0.2 mM magnesium diploids appeared even in the absence of DMSO, while at 2 mM magnesium diploids never appeared unless DMSO was added to the regeneration medium. Evidence is provided that the diploids induced by DMSO or a low magnesium level are due to direct diploidization but not protoplast fusion. UV light irradiation of intact cells (without protoplasts), 10% of which survived, also produced diploids among this surviving population. From these results we conclude that the perturbation of protoplast regeneration or of cell division by the treatments mentioned above somehow induced direct diploidization of T. delbrueckii.     

Isolation and Fusion of Sperm Cells in Several Bicellular Pollen Species

Living sperm cells were isolated in large quantities from the pollen tubes, grown by the in vivo-in vitro technique in 8 bicellular pollen species belonging to 5 families. An “osmotic shook weak enzyme treatment” method could effectively release sperms from pollen tubes and favor sub sequent purification. The viable sperm yields were up to 82.9% in Zephyranthes candida and 78.2% in Hemerocallis minor. Fusions were successfully induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) according to the "small-scale fusion" procedure in various combinations, viz., between the same sperm cells in 5 species, between sperm cells of Gladiolus gandavensis and Hippeastrum vitta turn, between sperm cells and microspore protoplasts in Hemerocallis minor, and between sperm cells of H. vittatum and microspore protoplasts of Hemerocallis fulva. Test with fluorochrome reaction, more than 85% of the fusion products of sperm cells in Z. candida were viable. The yieid of viable fusion products between sperm cells and microspore protoplasts in Hemerocallis minor was about 75% and half of them could survive after culture for 24h. The induction of fusion between sperm cells and petal protoplasts in G. gandavensis by a combined PEG-dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treatment was investigated in detail. About 90% of the fusion products thus obtamed were viable. Several critical factors affecting the fusion efficiency were studied. These included the ratio of sperm cell number to petal protoplast number in the mixture, concentrations of PEG and DMSO, and duration of incubation in the inducing solution. It appeared that addition of DMSO could significantly increase the fusion frequency, and that there may be a synergistic effect between PEG and DMSO. This is the first attempt to use isolated sperm cells for fusion studies in bicellular pollen species.     

Osmotic Behavior of Bacterial Protoplasts: Temperature Effects

Among protoplasts released from cells of Bacillus megaterium grown at 20, 30, or 37 C, osmotic swelling in NaCl solution at a given external osmotic pressure was greatest for protoplasts from cells grown at 20 C and least for protoplasts from cells grown at 37 C. Protoplasts from cells grown at lower temperaturs were also less stable to osmotic shock and lysed at higher external osmotic pressures than did protoplasts from cells grown at higher temperatures. But for cells grown at any one temperature, osmotic stabilization was itself temperature dependent so that the higher the ambient incubation temperature, the higher the osmotic pressure needed to prevent lysis of a given fraction of the input protoplast population. However, comparison of the osmotic stability of protoplasts from cells grown at different temperatures at various ambient incubation temperatures revealed that, except at 5 C where no differences were discerned, protoplasts from cells grown at lower temperatures still lysed at higher osmotic pressures than did those from cells grown at higher temperatures. The apparent internal osmolality (28 to 31 atm) did not vary significantly among whole cells from the three growth temperatures. Therefore, the observed differences in osmotic behavior could not be attributed to changes in internal osmotic pressure. Rather, it seemed likely that the differences were due to changes in membrane properties.     

Protoplast formation and regeneration in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus delbrueckii</Emphasis>

Method for production and regeneration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii protoplasts are described. The protoplasts were obtained by treatment with a mixture of lysozyme and mutanolysin in protoplast buffer at pH 6.5 with different osmotic stabilizers. The protoplasts were regenerated on deMan, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) with various osmotic stabilizers. Maximum protoplast formation was obtained in protoplast buffer with sucrose as an osmotic stabilizer using a combination of lysozyme (1 mg/ml) and mutanolysin (10 μg/ml). Maximum protoplast regeneration was obtained on MRS medium with sucrose (0.5 M) as an osmotic stabilizer. The regeneration medium was also applicable to other species of lactobacilli as well. This is, to our knowledge, the first report on protoplast formation and efficient regeneration in case of L. delbrueckii.     

The isolation of protoplasts from the placental cells ofSolanum nigrum L.

Summary Living protoplasts were isolated from the interplacental regions ofSolanum nigrum berries by the removal of the walls from cells in tissue slices treated for 1–2 hours with 12% pectinase in 0.33 M to 0.38 M sucrose solution. Protoplasts thus isolated, then washed and transferred to microculture chambers for observation, invariably tended to be spherical. Comparative measurements of cell and protoplast volumes revealed that 10% of the isolated structures were subunits of protoplasts. From diameter changes in protoplasts studied in a hypotonic (0.20 M) sucrose solution, the maximum expansion of the plasma membrane was determined. Slightly hypertonic solutions (0.33 M to 0.38 M sucrose) promote stability of isolated protoplasts for several days. The importance to stability of osmotic concentration and ion balance in the medium is here established. Probably of equal importance is the optimal combination of several common constituents of culture media. Further studies on some aspects of specific medium requirements are in progress.This work was supported by a special grant from the Office of Advanced Studies and Research, University of South Carolina.     

K plus-dependent deplasmolysis of a marine pseudomonad plasmolyzed in a hypotonic solution

When cells of a marine pseudomonad were washed with a solution consisting of 0.3 m NaCl, 0.05 m MgSO(4), and 0.01 m KCl (complete salts), they maintained their normal morphology. When washed with a solution of 0.05 m MgSO(4), they became plasmolyzed as indicated by both phase and electron microscopy. Suspensions of cells washed with 0.05 m MgSO(4) showed an increase in optical density (OD) when 0.3 m NaCl was added, and this was followed by a decrease in OD upon the further addition of 0.01 m KCl. Salts of other monovalent cations were not effective in replacing K(+) in producing the OD decrease. Phase-contrast microscopy revealed that the increase in OD was accompanied by a decrease in cell size, and the decrease in OD, by an increase in the cell size. Both phase and electron microscopy showed that the K(+)-dependent decrease in OD was accompanied by deplasmolysis of the cells. Na(+) was required in the suspending medium in addition to K(+) to obtain deplasmolysis. The intracellular K(+) concentration in cells which had been washed with complete salts and which had retained their normal morphology was found to be 0.290 m. In cells plasmolyzed by washing with 0.05 m MgSO(4), the intracellular K(+) concentration was 0.004 m. Deplasmolyzed cells contained 0.330 m K(+). The membrane profile of plasmolyzed cells was retained when protoplasts were formed. The protoplasts became spherical if incubated in a solution permitting the deplasmolysis of the parent cells. The evidence obtained indicates that plasmolysis and deplasmolysis under the conditions described was due to the loss and gain, respectively, of K(+) by the cells. The effect of Na(+) could be ascribed to its capacity to control the porosity of the cytoplasmic membrane of this organism.     

沙冬青子叶原生质体瞬时表达体系的建立及其AmDREB1蛋白的亚细胞定位

以沙冬青(Ammopiptanthus mongolicus(Maxim.ex Kom.)Cheng f.)幼苗的子叶为材料,对其原生质体的分离、纯化和瞬时表达体系进行了研究。结果表明,子叶原生质体分离的最佳酶解液组成为CPW溶液+3.0%纤维素酶R-10+0.5%离析酶R-10+0.3%半纤维素酶+9.0%甘露醇(p H5.8);最佳酶解条件为室温、避光、40 r/min轻摇14 h。采用W5溶液作为漂洗液将酶解物稀释后进行过滤,将过滤液在4℃、700 r/min条件下离心5 min,所得纯化原生质体的产量约为2.50×106cells/g,活力达到90%;以纯化的原生质体作为受体,利用聚乙二醇(PEG)介导法成功将植物瞬时表达载体p BI-GFP导入其中,转化效率达到50.8%。利用本研究建立的原生质体瞬时表达体系,检测到沙冬青脱水应答转录因子Am DREB1定位于细胞核内。     

Respiration and Mitochondrial Activity in Zea mays Roots As Affected by Osmotic Stress

Studies were made of metabolism in highly vacuolated and slightlyvacuolated Zea mays root tissue both during and after plasmolysis. Plasmolysis resulted in decreased respiration and carbon dioxideevolution from glucose and an increased sucrose synthesis. Inhibitionof respiration during plasmolysis in both the highly vacuolatedand slightly vacuolated tissue was not relieved by supply ofglucose, organic acids, or uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation.Mitochondria isolated from plasmolysed tissue were tightly coupled,but activity in vitro was inhibited by exposure to a high negativeosmotic potential. It is suggested that low TCA cycle activityin vivo must be due either to inhibition of mitochondrial activityor to reduced flow of carbon through the glycolytic pathway. A low potential for TCA cycle activity after deplasmolysis issuggested, as addition of pyruvate stimulated carbon dioxideevolution but not oxygen uptake, which was severely decreased.This was presumably due to severe mitochondrial damage as shownby their activity in vitro. However, it is not clear whetherrespiration in vivo is rate limited by rapid leakage of metabolicintermediate (reported earlier) or by lysis of mitochondria. Deplasmolysis did not damage mitochondria from slightly vacuolatedtissue, a result which was consistent with respiratory measurementsmade in vivo. The data show that mitochondria in vacuolated tissue are damagedduring and after deplasmolysis and not before. It is suggestedthat lysis of mitochondria occurs in vivo as a result of a sharpincrease in the osmotic potential of the cell fluids.     

Development of a quantitative method for determination of the optimal conditions for protoplast isolation from cultured plant cells

An index [kv: average isolation rate of viable protoplast (number/ml min)] was established to evaluate the optimal conditions for protoplast isolation from cultured plant cells. The optimal conditions for protoplasts isolation from Nicotiana tabacum BY2 cultured cells could be determined on the basis of the kv [31.7 × 10³ (number/ml min)]. The colony-forming efficiency of the protoplasts was about 46%. The optimal conditions for protoplasts isolation from Catharanthus roseus [kv = 38.1 × 10³ (number/ml min)] and Wasabia japonica [kv = 14.2 × 10³ (number/ml min)] cultured cells could also be determined. Furthermore, a method for rapid regenerating cell wall of protoplast in liquid culture using alginate gel containing locust bean gum was developed.