THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF ACACIA CORNIGERA L. BELTIAN BODY TISSUE |
| |
Authors: | Fred R. Rickson |
| |
Affiliation: | Department of Botany, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331 |
| |
Abstract: | Beltian bodies of Acacia cornigera have evolved as multicellular structures which serve as food for protective ant colonies. At the ultrastructural level, Beltian body cells contain a large amount of protein and lipid that presumably contribute to the ant's nutrition. The non-soluble protein is aggregated into tubules of two size classes: one is present in both the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, and has an individual tubule diam of 75 A, while another size class, located in the cytoplasm, has a diam of 280 A. These two classes of protein tubules aggregate into units that occupy a high percentage of a cortical cell's volume. Numerous lipid droplets are present in the cytoplasm, adding an energy source to the ant's diet. Each droplet is surrounded by a single layer of filaments, the molecular composition of which is unknown at this time. This study indicates that the evolutionary development of this tissue has produced a highly desirable food source for the inhabiting ants. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|