SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION OF TRANSPORT DOMAINS AND SUBDOMAIN FORMATION IN THE PLASMA-MEMBRANE OF CHARA-CORALLINA

Pattern formation mechanisms in developing organisms determine cellula r differentiation and function. However, the components that interact during the manifestation of a spatial pattern are in general unknown. Characean algae represent a model system to study pattern formation. T hese algae develop alternating acid and alkaline transport domains tha t influence the pattern of growth. In the present study, it will be de monstrated that a diffusion mechanism is implicated in acid and alkali ne domain formation and this growth pattern. Experiments on the charac ean growth pattern were performed that resulted in pronounced, however , unpredictable modifications in the original pattern. A major compone nt involved in this pattern-forming mechanism emerged from the nonline ar kinetics of the Hf-ATPase that is located in the plasma membrane of these algae. Based on these kinetics, a mathematical model was develo ped and numerically analyzed. As a result, the contribution of a diffu sional component to the characean acid/alkaline pattern appeared most likely.