A comparative study of periplast structure inCryptomonas cryophila andC. ovata (Cryptophyceae)

Summary Freeze-fracture followed by deep-etch was used with transmission electron microscopy to characterize and compare the periplasts of two cryptomonads,Cryptomonas ovata andC. cryophila. The periplast ofC. ovata consists of a dense surface mat of granular/fibrillar material overlying a series of polygonal plates attached to the undersurface of the plasma membrane (PM) at their upturned edges. Fracture faces of the PM reveal a highly stable substructure with distinct patterns of intra-membrane particles (IMPs) associated with the underlying plates; a role for the PM in plate development is indicated. The surface periplast component ofC. cryophila exhibits a cover of morphologically complex, overlapping heptagonal scales (termed rosette scales) in addition to elongate fibrils. The arrangement of IMPs within the PM is predominantly random and the inner periplast component consists of a sheet with regular pores where ejectisomes are located. The sheet does not appear closely associated with the PM. The combination of features exhibited by the periplast ofC. cryophila warrants its inclusion as a new type within theCryptophyceae.