Cytoskeletal 10 nm filaments in cells of the algal phyla Chlorophyta, Charophyta, and Chrysophyta and their developmentally regulated and species-specific association with prosomes.

10 nm diameter filaments were observed in whole-mount preparations of algae of diverse phyla: Acetabularia acetabulum and A. major (Chlorophyta), Chara australis and Nitella flexilis (Charophyta), and Poterioochromonas malhamensis (Chrysophyta). A polyclonal antibody raised against a basic, 50 kDa DNA-binding protein of A. acetabulum stains the filaments of A. acetabulumand and A. major as well as of C. australis and N. flexilis. While in the perinuclear region of A. acetabulumand and A. major and throughout the cytoplasm of P. malhamensis the 10 nm filaments have a smooth appearance, in the stalk of A. acetabulumand and A. major they are densely covered by globular structures; in C. australis and N. flexilis they are less frequently associated with such material. The morphology of a part of the globular particles is quite reminiscent of prosomes. A monoclonal antibody elicited against prosomes isolated from A. acetabulum indeed decorates the globular particles on the A. acetabulum and A. major filaments. The possible role of these filament-particle associations is discussed.

REPRODUCTION IN ZONARIA FARLOWII II. CYTOLOGY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE(1).

The development of spores and eggs of Zonaria farlowii was studied with light and electron microscopy. Oogonia require a lunar month to develop and are produced in periodic crops. The sporangia, on the other hand, are longer in developing and on a particular plant do not become mature all at the same time. Differences in size, content, and products of sporangia and oogonia have been found. One of the quantifiable differences is in the amount of osmiophilic substance, presumably oil, present in the 2 cells. This substance is more abundant in the sporangium, a cell which produces 8 reproductive spores. These differences are particularly interesting since the embryology of sporic and zygotic germlings has been found to be identical, while ontogeny of spores and eggs differs. The findings of this study are discussed in view of possible relationships between microstrtrclitral features of spores and fertilized eggs and their subsequent development.

REPRODUCTION IN ZONARIA FARLOWII. I. GAMETOGENESIS, SPOROGENESIS, AND EMBRYOLOGY(1).

The brown alga Zonaria farlowii which exhibits an alternation of isomorphic generations has been found to be a particularly suitable organism for a comparative study of game to gene sis, sporogenesis, and embryonic development. The germinations of the zygote and spore have been compared and found to be similar. The development of the oogonium and sporangium has been studied with the light and electron microscopes, in an attempt to discern ontogcnetical similarities or differences. The timing and periodicity of oogenesis and sporogenesis were found to differ: oogonial development requires a lunar month from the time of its initiation to the time of egg release which occurs around the first quarter of the moon, whereas the sporangium does not follow this periodicity. The development of the spore embryos and zygotic embryos is essentially the same. It appears that the difference between the 2 phases of the life cycle exists only in the later stages of oogenesis and sporogenesis. These differences continue in the egg until fertilization, after which the zygote has the same cytoplasmic configuration as the spore. It is also notable that during release of the spore it must increase in size considerably since before germination begins it has attained the size of the egg.