Ultrastructural analysis of the differentiation process of secondary xylem vessel element in Populus deltoides

Abstract

Using electronic microscopy, ultrastructural changes were observed during differentiation in a secondary xylem vessel element (VE) in Populus deltoides. Results showed that morphological development of VE differentiation was successively divided into three stages. First was primary cell wall outspread (the initial stage), where the VE was highly vacuolated and the protoplasma distributed along the cell wall. Second was secondary cell wall construction (the pivotal stage), where substances accumulated before the tonoplast broke, and the VE organelle was distinct. Golgi bodies and vesicles, which were associated closely with synthesis and transportation of secondary cell wall substances, were also abundant. After the tonoplast broke, these substances accumulated faster. Simultaneously, the protoplasm was disaggregated and the agglomerated chromatin was distributed over the margin of the nucleus, showing the typical characteristics of programmed cell death (PCD). During secondary cell wall formation, no cell wall substances accumulated between the terminal cell walls of neighboring VEs. In addition, terminal cell wall substances were disaggregated in the post secondary cell wall formation. Later, when the remnant terminal cell wall was broken in the third stage, perforation occurred. Thus, for these successive stages of VE differentiation, the critical stage, when differentiation was not reversible, was at the start of secondary cell wall formation with succeeding VE differentiation similar to a typical PCD process.