Patterns of microtubule reappearance in root cells ofVigna sinensis recovering from a colchicine treatment

Summary The reticulum of paracrystalline tubulin strands, which is assembled in meristematic root cells ofVigna sinensis treated with a 0.08% colchicine solution, disaggregates and microtubules (Mts) reappear after a 10–14 h recovery of the seedlings from the drug. In recovering interphase cells, Mts reappear in the cortical cytoplasm. Initially, they are short and aligned in different directions but finally they elongate and usually become oriented transversely to the long cell axis.A single or a pair of preprophase Mt bands (PMBs) is organized in cells enclosing one or more nuclei. Simultaneously, Mts traverse the perinuclear cytoplasm. In recovering C-mitotic cells, Mt bundles emerge from the kinetochores. Initially, they exhibit diverse orientations. Afterwards, the C-chromosomes are aligned on ametaphase plate via kinetochore Mt bundles, which become parallel to one another. As time passes non-kinetochore Mts appear among the chromosomes and anaphase proceeds. In recovering cytokinetic cells, normal, abnormally curved or branched phragmoplasts are organized. The latter arise between the nuclei of multinucleate telophase cells or between the lobes of forming polyploid nuclei. In cells which were blocked at an advanced cytokinetic stage by colchicine, phragmoplasts return to the margins of the incomplete cell walls.The observations presented here suggest that in recovering colchicine-treated root cells the Mts and the tubulin reticulum are interchangeable. Although Mts appear in cytoplasmic sites where they are expected to be nucleated, the pattern of Mt reformation differs from that operating in normal and to a smaller extent from that functioning in cells recovering from other anti-Mt drugs.