The pattern of acropetal and basipetal cytoplasmic streaming velocities inChara rhizoids and protonemata, and gravity effect on the pattern as measured by laser-Doppler-velocimetry

The spatial pattern of acropetal and basipetal cytoplasmic streaming veloci ties has been studied by laser-Doppler-velocimetry (LDV) in the positively gravitropic (downward growing) rhizoids of Chara globularis Thuill. and for the first time in the negatively gravitropic (upward growing) protonemata. The LDV method proved to be precise and yielded reproducible results even when tiny differences in velocities were measured. In the apical parts of t he streaming regions of both cell types, acropetal streaming was faster tha n basipetal streaming. Starting at the apical reversal point of streaming, the velocity increased basipetally with the distance from that point and be came fairly constant close to the basal reversal point; subsequently, the v elocity decreased slightly acropetally as the apical reversal point was aga in approached. There was no change in velocity at the basal reversal point. However, at the apical reversal point there was an abrupt decrease in velo city. The pattern of the ratio of acropetal to basipetal streaming velocity (VR) was a function of the relative distance of the site of measurement fr om the apical reversal point rather than a function of the absolute distanc e. Upon inversion of the rhizoids, the VR decreased on average by 3.8% (+/- 0.4%), indicating that the effect of gravity on the streaming velocity was merely physical and without a physiological amplification. Rhizoids that h ad developed on the slowly rotating horizontal axis of a clinostat, and had never experienced a constant gravity vector, were similar to normally grow n rhizoids with respect to VR pattern. In protonemata, the VR pattern was n ot significantly different from that in rhizoids although the direction of growth was inverse. In rhizoids, oryzalin caused the polar organization of the cell to disappear and nullified the differences in streaming velocities , and cytochalasin D decreased the velocity of basipetal streaming slightly more than that of acropetal streaming. Cyclopiazonic acid, known as an inh ibitor of the Ca2+-ATPase of the endoplasmic reticulum, also reduced the st reaming velocities in rhizoids, but had slightly more effect on the acropet al stream. It is possible that the endogenous difference in streaming veloc ities in both rhizoids and protonemata is caused by differences in the cyto skeletal organization of the opposing screams and/or loading of inhibitors (like Ca2+) from the apical/subapical zone into the basipetally streaming e ndoplasm.