PROTEIN CRYSTALLOIDS IN PLASTIDS OF MUSA PARENCHYMA CELLS

In very young banana leaves plastids of the parenchyma cells near the vascular bundles contain about 1 Μ large crystalloids in their stroma, besides starch, prolamellar bodies and thylacoids. The crystalloids have a very regular fine structure consisting of 50-60 å filament-like subunits and are surrounded by a membranous envelope that often is in contact with stacks of thylacoids. Form and array of the crystalloid subunits are finally compared with protein-crystalloids in Phaseolus plastids, intramitochondrial crystals and crystal-containing bodies. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.