Microfilaments Anchor Chloroplasts along the Outer Periclinal Wall in Vallisneria Epidermal Cells through Cooperation of PFR and Photosynthesis

In the cytoplasmic layer that faces the outer periclinal wallin epidermal cells of leaves of the aquatic angiosperm Vallisneriagigantea Graebner, we examined a possible interrelationshipamong the configuration of microfilaments, chloroplast motility,and anchoring of chloroplasts. In dark-adapted cells, microfilamentsare arranged in a network array. During a 10-min incubationin darkness 10 to 20 min after irradiation with red light (650nm, 0.41 W m^–2) for 5 min, the number of cells containinga network array decreased substantially while the number ofcells containing microfilaments in a honeycomb array increased.Irradiation with red light rapidly produces an increase in chloroplastmotility, but chloroplast motility declined almost to initiallevels during the 10-min incubation in darkness after the irradiation.Simultaneously, the chloroplasts in these cells became extremelyresistant to centrifugal forces. These effects of red lightwere negated either by far-red light or by the presence of DCMU,and were sensitive to cytochalasin B. It appears, therefore,that microfilaments not only drive the movement of chloroplastsbut also play a crucial role in accumulation of the chloroplastsalong the outer periclinal wall through dynamic changes in theconfiguration under cooperative regulation by P_FR and photosynthesis. (Received July 24, 1998; Accepted September 22, 1998)