DYNAMIC CHANGES IN THE ACTIN CYTOSKELETON DURING THE HIGH-FLUENCE RATE RESPONSE OF THE MOUGEOTIA CHLOROPLAST

Since photo-induced orientation movement of a single, ribbon-shaped chloroplast in each cell of the filamentous green alga Mougeotia is inhibited in the presence of cytochalasin B, actin is thought to be involved in the process of chloroplast movements. However, this possibility remains to be proved. A specific class of cytoplasmic filaments, which emerge from the advancing front of the moving chloroplast, can be seen by differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. However, no one has yet succeeded in defining the nature of these filaments. We have been able to stain the actin filaments (AFs) associated with the moving chloroplast with fluorescein-conjugated phalloidin (FP) after pre-treatment with m-maleimidobenzoyl N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS). No filamentous structures were observed in cells that had been pre-irradiated with low-fluence rate red Light. However, transversely oriented fluorescent filaments appeared at the front edge of the moving chloroplast when it began to rotate under irradiation with high-fluence rate white light. These filaments disappeared after completion of the orientation movement, suggesting the simultaneous appearance of AFs and the orientation movement of the chloroplast. Thick cytoplasmic strands connecting the edge of the chloroplast with the parietal cytoplasm were often seen by DIC microscopy before and after completion of the high-fluence rate orientation movement. These thick cytoplasmic strands could not be stained by FP, but were often stained by 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC(6)(3)), suggesting that they are transvacuolar strands that include endoplasmic reticulum.