Occurrence and distribution of filipin-sterol complexes in chloroplast envelope membranes of algae and higher plants as visualized by freeze-fracture

Summary The occurrence and planar distribution of 3--hydroxysterols in chloroplast envelope membranes of different algae and higher plants has been studied with the freeze-fracture technique using the polyene antibiotic filipin as cytochemical marker. The inner chloroplast envelope membrane in all organisms studied is devoid of filipin-sterol complexes. The outer chloroplast envelope membranes of isolated higher plant chloroplasts (spinach, pea) and of chloroplasts of the mossPolytrichum piliferum are lacking filipin-sterol complexes, thus indicating a very low concentration of 3--hydroxysterols in chloroplast envelope membranes of higher plants. In contrast filipin-sterol complexes are abundant in the outer chloroplast envelope membrane of the flagellatesChlamydomonas reinhardii, Cryptomonas erosa, andEuglena gracilis. The chloroplast-ER surrounding the plastid ofCryptomonas erosa also exhibits filipin-sterol complexes. Functional and phylogenetic aspects of these observations are discussed.Medizinische Cytobiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Westring 3, D-4400 Münster, Federal Republic of Germany.