Abstract
"Elaioplasts" observed in <em>Vanilla planifolia</em>, <em>Funkia Sieboldiana</em> and <em>Althaea rosea </em>exhibit all the features characteristic of lipotubuloids earlier described in <em>Ornithogalum umbellatum</em>. They are cytoplasmic domains containing aggregates of lipid bodies connected with microtubules. The immunogold technique confirmed the presence of tubulin in this domain. These structures do not have their own membranes but they are surrounded by a tonoplast at the side of a vacuole since they invaginate into it. In cytoplasm of this domain among lipid bodies there are numerous ribosomes, ER cisternae and vesicles as well as few mitochondria, Golgi structures and microbodies while at older developmental stages there are also autolytic vacuoles. The fact that they are so similar to <em>O. umbellatum</em> lipotubuloids suggest that "elaioplasts" of <em>V. planifolia</em>, <em>F. Sieboldiana </em>and <em>A. rosea </em>can also be named lipotubuloids.
Highlights
In many publications the term “elaioplasts” denotes, in accordance with the meaning, plastids containing lipids [1,2]
The number of gold grains in particular domains is presented as the percentage of the whole pool of grains in the lipotubuloids regarded as 100%
The specificity of the immunogold techinque with the use of anti-α-tubulin antibody was first determined by analyzing labeling of O. umbellatum lipotubuloids which are characterized with the presence of many stable microtubules [42]
Summary
In many publications the term “elaioplasts” denotes, in accordance with the meaning, plastids containing lipids [1,2]. Similar structures were later described in more than 120 species belonging to Monocotyledoneae and Dicotyledoneae (literature data – Tab. 1). The observations in the light microscope showed that some of these plants contain lipidic structures which were definitely not plastids but aggregates of lipid bodies (lipid droplets, oleosomes), e.g. It should be noted that some “elaioplasts” in plants listed in Tab. 1 are plastids (e.g. in Iris, [10]). Lipid bodies used to be treated as passive structures being only reservoirs of storage substances.
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