Early stages in cell wall regeneration of tobacco mesophyll protoplasts : An electrophoretic study

Abstract

The electrophoretic mobilities of isolated mesophyll protoplasts of Nicotiana tabacum var. Xanthi n.c. were measured using a whole cell electrophoresis apparatus. Changes in mobility were recorded at times during aseptic culture which related to events in the known sequence of de novo cell wall regeneration. It is proposed that these changes are a result of activity in, or at, the plasmalemma resulting in synthesis and transport to the cell surface of regenerated cell wall material. Coumarin, a compound known to affect the developmental sequence of cultured mesophyll protoplasts, was examined as a medium component during the regenerative process, differences in protoplast mobility resulting from Coumarin addition were recorded. The possible mode of action of Coumarin is discussed