Development of cell wall modifications in the endodermis and exodermis of Allium cepa roots

The cytological events of wall modification in the endodermis and exodermis of Allium cepa L. roots were examined with fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. In the endodermis, Casparian bands, suberin lamellae, and tertiary walls developed in succession. At the site of the future Casparian band, the plasma membrane was bound to the wall before deposition of detectable hydrophobic components in the radial wall. Suberin lamellae were deposited on the inner faces of the primary walls, first along the outer tangential walls and then the inner tangential walls. On both walls, segments of the lamellae were formed earlier in primary pit fields than at nonprimary pit field regions. Suberin lamellae then extended to the radial walls. When they reached the Casparian bands, the lamellae intruded between the bound plasma membranes and the walls, so that the cells' plasma membranes remained intact. In this way, suberin lamellae that were continuous around the cells were laid down. Later, tertiary walls were deposited internal to the suberin lamellae. None of the wall modifications interrupted the symplastic connections of the endodermis. During suberin lamella and tertiary wall formation, more dictyosomes and ER profiles appeared than during Casparian band development. In the exodermis, although Casparian bands were readily detected with fluorescence microscopy, they were rarely detected with electron microscopy. Suberin lamellae were formed in long cells severing their plasmodesmata. As in the endodermis, dictyosomes and ER were prominent during suberin lamella formation. Tertiary walls were not formed in the exodermis.Key words: Allium cepa, Casparian band, endodermis, exodermis, suberin lamella, ultrastructure.

Arrangement of Cellulose Microfibrils in Walls of Elongating Parenchyma Cells

The arrangement of cellulose microfibrils in walls of elongating parenchyma cells of Avena coleoptiles, onion roots, and celery petioles was studied in polarizing and electron microscopes by examining whole cell walls and sections. Walls of these cells consist firstly of regions containing the primary pit fields and composed of microfibrils oriented predominantly transversely. The transverse microfibrils show a progressive disorientation from the inside to the outside of the wall which is consistent with the multinet model of wall growth. Between the pit-field regions and running the length of the cells are ribs composed of longitudinally oriented microfibrils. Two types of rib have been found at all stages of cell elongation. In some regions, the wall appears to consist entirely of longitudinal microfibrils so that the rib forms an integral part of the wall. At the edges of such ribs the microfibrils can be seen to change direction from longitudinal in the rib to transverse in the pit-field region. Often, however, the rib appears to consist of an extra separate layer of longitudinal microfibrils outside a continuous wall of transverse microfibrils. These ribs are quite distinct from secondary wall, which consists of longitudinal microfibrils deposited within the primary wall after elongation has ceased. It is evident that the arrangement of cellulose microfibrils in a primary wall can be complex and is probably an expression of specific cellular differentiation.