The Ultrastructure of Cell Division in Male Reproductive Branches of Polysiphonia Denudata
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1978 The ultrastructure of cell division in male reproductive branches of Polysiphonia denudata Cynthia Louise Bosco College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Botany Commons, Cell Biology Commons, Marine Biology Commons, and the Oceanography Commons Recommended Citation Bosco, Cynthia Louise, "The ultrastructure of cell division in male reproductive branches of Polysiphonia denudata" (1978). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539625018. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-7acb-nw24 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CELL DIVISION IN MALE REPRODUCTIVE BRANCHES OF POLYSIPHONIA DENUDATA A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Biology The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Cynthia L. Bosco 19T8 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Author Approved, May 19 72 Robert E. L. Black i. (m Lawrence L. Wiseman O Q A Q • ! 0 <3 0 D 0 t TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES...................................................... v ABSTRACT................ viii INTRODUCTION............................................................... 2 METHODS AND MATERIALS......................................................... 8 OBSERVATIONS.............................................................. 10 DISCUSSION................................................................ 23 KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS.............................................. 32 FIGURES................................................................... 33 BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................. 58 ACKNOWLWDGEMENTS The writer would like to thank her committee chairman and mentor, Dr. Joseph L. Scott, for his encouragement, wise advice and high standards throughout the investigation. The writer would also like to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Robert E. L. Black and Dr. Lawrence L. Wiseman for their valuable critical comments on the manuscript. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Polysiphonia denudata (male plant)................................... 33 2. Light micrograph of several male reproductive branches...............33 3. Light micrograph of a single male reproductive branch................33 4. Montage of a longitudinal section through a young male reproductive branch................. 34 5. Longitudinal section of the basal cell of a male reproductive branch. ................................................. 34 6. Longitudinal section of an interphase cell.......................... 35 7. High magnification of a chloroplast. .......................35 8. Longitudinal section through an interphase central cell............ .35 9. Cross-section of an early prophase cell....... 36 10. Cross-section through a polar ring in a prophase cell........ .......36 11. Longitudinal section through an early prophase cell...... .37 12. Longitudinal section of a polar ring during early prophase..... ....37 13. Longitudinal section of an early prophase cell showing polar ring migration. ...... -.............. .38 14. Cross-section through a prophase nucleus.............................38 15. Longitudinal section of a mid-prophase cell........... 39 16. High magnification of a polar ring (longitudinal section).......... .40 17. Longitudinal section of a polar ring and zone of exclusion at one spindle pole.......... 40 18. Longitudinal section of a late prophase nucleus............ ......... 41 v Figure Page 19. Longitudinal section of late prophase in a mother cell. ........41 20. Oblique section through a late prophase cell..;.*.............. ......42 21. Longitudinal section through a prometaphase mother cell............. 43 22. Longitudinal section through a prometaphase mother cell........ .....43 23. Longitudinal section through a metaphase nucleus.................... 44 24. Longitudinal section through a metaphase nucleus.................... 44 25. Longitudinal section through a metaphase nucleus.................... 45 26. High magnification micrograph of a metaphase spindle pole........ ...45 27. Oblique section through a metaphase nucleus......... .........46 28. Longitudinal section of a metaphase nucleus............ '.46 29. Longitudinal section of a metaphase nucleus, illustrating the separation of the polar ring into two separate components......... ..47 30. Longitudinal section through an early anaphase nucleus..............47 31. Longitudinal section through a mid-anaphase nucleus.................48 32. Longitudinal section through a mid-anaphase nucleus, showing the two components of a polar ring at this stage.................... 49 33. Longitudinal section through a late anaphase nucleus............ ....49 34. High magnification micrograph of a late anaphase polar ring..•...••.49 35. Longitudinal section through a telophase cell............. * ....... 50 36. Longitudinal section through a mid-telophase cell..................51 37. Longitudinal section through a late telophase cell............. ..>.52 38. Longitudinal section through a late telophase cell.........•••••••••52 39. Longitudinal section of cytokinesis (anticlinal condition)..........53 40. Longitudinal section of cytokinesis .53 41. Periclinal cytokinesis (longitudinal section)........... 54 42. High magnification micrograph of the mid-region of a dividing cell..54 43. Pit connection formation at the termination of the cytokinetic process (longitudinal section) ......... ••••••••...... .........55 vi Figure Page 44. Longitudinal section of interphase in a spermatangium............ ...56 45. Schematic diagram of cell division in Polysiphonia denudata.........57 vii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to describe the ultrastructure of vegetative cell division in male reproductive branches of the marine red alga, Polysiphonia denudata. Understanding these events may prove significant in phylogenetic interpretations within the red algae and among other groups of organisms. Because of the numerous polar fenestrations present in an other wise intact nuclear envelope, dividing nuclei of P. denudata must be described as both open and closed respectively. Two cylindrical organ elles, or polar rings, are situated outside the nucleus throughout karyokinesis. Polar ring migration occurs during prophase to establish opposing spindle poles. The organelles remain polarly associated at least until telophase. Metaphase nuclei contain highly condensed chromatin, well developed kinetochores, a perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum sheath surrounding the nucleus, and both chromosomal and continuous microtubules. Anaphase separation occurs by constriction and elongation of the interzonal spindle. Two daughter nuclei with intact nuclear envelopes are established at telophase following nuclear envelope reformation in the area adjacent to the interzonal spindle. Cleavage furrow formation begins as an impingement of the mid-region of the cell and proceeds centripetally. Vacuoles aid in separation of the daughter nuclei until cytokinesis is completed. Cytokinesis is terminated with the formation of a pit connection between the two cells. This work contrasts with the three other studies of cell division in the Rhodophyta in several distinct ways, and raises new questions that need to be answered, specifically concerning the origin, development and migration of the polar ring. viii TEE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CELL DIVISION IN MALE REPRODUCTIVE BRANCHES OF POLYSIPHONIA DENUDATA INTRODUCTION The enigmatic process of cell division represents one of life's singular opportunities for renewal through growth and change. Crucial components which can affect an organism's viability and biological competitiveness are divided in this process. At no other time is a cell's genetic information so vulnerable to alteration. In order for an organism to be successful over time, this mechanism must be reliable, accurate and rapid. Biologists have long been fascinated by this subject and have focused their attention on the biochemical, structural and physiological processes that occur at this time. The electron microscope has proved to be an invaluable tool for studying cell division. Due to the increased resolution attainable, structures barely visible at the light microscope level can be easily distinguished. Recent publications on eukaryotic karyokinesis and cytokinesis have greatly furthered the understanding of the dynamic structures and mechanics involved (5, 6, l U , 15, 21-23, 29, 30, 33, 36, ^3-^+7, 57) • These and other ultrastructural investigations have shown the process of cell division to be extremely diverse from one group of organisms to another. However, little is known about cell division in both the red algae (division Rhodophyta) and the brown algae. They are undisputedly the last frontier to be explored with the electron microscope for details of nuclear and cytoplasmic behavior. The Rhodophyta is a very specialized group of predominantly marine, multicellular plants