Microbodies and an anomalous “microcylinder” in the ultrastructure of plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism

摘要

An ultrastructural study was made of the leaf tissues of four species of plants in three genera with Crassulacean acid metabolism (“CAM” plants):Kalanchoë daigremontianaHamet et Perrier,K. verticillataElliot,Sedum rubrotinctumclausen andCrassula tetragonaL. Microbodies similar in appearance, with fibrillar or granular nucleoids but no crystalline deposits, were present in the mesophyll of all four species. The microbodies resembled in size and abundance those of C3plants more closely than those of C4plants, both under long-day and short-day conditions. The reaction for catalase activity employing 3,3′-diaminobenzidine produced a heavy deposit in the microbodies; the reaction was blocked by the catalase inhibitor, aminotr