Laser microsurgery demonstrates that cytoplasmic strands anchoring the nucleus across the vacuole of premitotic plant cells are under tension. Implications for division plane alignment (original) (raw)

In epidermal cells of the plant Nautilocalyx lynchii, induced to divide by explantation, the nucleus undergoes a series of movements, on cytoplasmic leading to construction of a division plane across the vacuole. In the stage, the nucleus separates from the cortex, occupying an eccentric the cell, suspended across the vacuole by few thin strands. In the central the nucleus occupies a central position anchored to the cortex by more thicker strands. Finally, the phragmosome forms as a coalescence of strands across the cell, constituting the division plane within which cytokinesis take place. The behaviour and alignment of these strands is important since some are precursors of the division plane. In a previous (Flanders et al (1990) J. Cell Biol. 110, 1111–1122), it was pointed out alignment of cytoplasmic strands showed features common to a variety of under tension. That is, provided they are free to move relative to the strands radiating from the nucleus should tend to seek short ra...