CYTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL APPROACH OF VESSEL-ASSOCIATED CELLS IN UNDERSTANDING THE WINTER SUGAR EXCHANGES, IN WALNUT STEMS

In order to understand the involvement of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in sugar exchanges between vessel-associated cells (VACs) and xylem vessels, we started ultrastructural and immunological approaches on walnut stems. The ultrastructural observations of walnut tree VACs showed usual characteristics: VACs are small cells with a high nucleoplasmic ratio, their dense cytoplasm contains many ribosomes and mitochondria, the ER is well developed, and the vacuoles are small; VAC wall is lignified except in the pits on the vessel side; plasmodesmata are observed between VAC and neighbouring parenchyma cells. We performed the immunolocalization of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase with a polyclonal antibody raised against the peach H+-ATPase. The results revealed a non-homogenous distribution of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Abbreviation: VAC, vessel-associated cell.

IV International Walnut Symposium

G. Alves, T. Améglio, A. Guilliot, J.L. Julien, G. Pétel, P. Fleurat-Lessard

plasma membrane H+-ATPase, vessel-associated cell, immunocytology.

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.544.38