Characean internodal cells generate receptor potential in response to mechanical stimuli. We studied responses of internodal cells to a long-lasting stimulus and the results were as follows. (i) The cell generated receptor potential at the moment of both compression and decompression. (ii) The receptor potential (DeltaE (m)) was significantly larger at the moment of decompression than at compre...

Popularly known as stoneworts, brittleworts, muskgrass, muskworts or bass-weeds, Characeae are among the largest and most complex green algae. All common names come from some characteristics these plants may exhibit, such as the brittle, limestone (calcium carbonate) exoskeleton that can form on the external surfaces of the plant (e.g. Chara vulgaris and Chara globularis) and, particularly, fro...

Melatonin was found in the fresh water characeae Chara australis. The concentrations (~4 μg/g of tissue) were similar in photosynthesizing cells, independent of their position on the plant and rhizoids (roots) without chloroplasts. Exogenous melatonin, added at 10 μM to the artificial pond water, increased quantum yield of photochemistry of photosystem II by 34%. The increased efficiency appear...

The RAB5 GTPase ARA6 of Arabidopsis thaliana is known to be involved in endosomal trafficking by targeting vesicles to the plasma membrane. During this process AtARA6 is working in close relationship with the SNARE protein VAMP727 (vesicle associated membrane protein 727). Recently, ARA6 of the characean green algae Chara australis (CaARA6) was shown to have properties similar to AtARA6, pointi...

New methods of visualizing subcortical actin filament bundles, or fibrils, in Characean internodes confirm that they are associated with chloroplasts at the surface facing the streaming endoplasm, and reveal that they are continuous over long distances. With the scanning electron microscope, an average of four to six fibrils are seen bridging a file of chloroplasts. The same configuration appea...

Internodal cells of three species of Characeae, Nitella flexilis, Nitella axilliformis and Chara corallina, were analyzed for the contents of Ca(2+ )and Mg(2+) in the cytoplasm. To avoid contamination of Ca(2+) from the cell wall and vacuole, the vacuolar sap was replaced with a sorbitol solution containing Sr(2+) by the vacuolar perfusion method after the cell had been treated with Sr(2+). No ...