Extensibility of isolated cell walls in the giant tip-growing cells of the xanthophycean alga Vaucheria terrestris.

Apical cell wall fragments isolated from the giant-cellular xanthophycean alga Vaucheria terrestris sensu Götz were inflated with silicone oil by applying internal pressure ranging from 0.1 to 0.7 MPa, and the time-course of cell wall deformation was recorded and analyzed by videomicroscopy. Cell wall extensibility in the tip-growing region was estimated by the pressure required for cell wall extension, the amount of total extension until cell wall rupture and the rate of cell wall extension. Apical cell walls exhibited gradual extension, or creep, during inflation, which was eventually followed by rupture at the apical portion, whereas no appreciable extension was found in the cylindrical basal portion of the cell wall fragment. Besides the largest extension observed around the tip, substantial extension was also observed along the subapical region of the cell wall. The wall extensibility was dependent on the buffer pH used for infiltration before inflation. The optimum pH for the extension was about 8.0, but the cell wall was much less extensible after infiltration with an acidic buffer. Cell wall extensibility was dependent on the pH of the buffer used before inflation, regardless of that used in the previous infiltration. Moreover, pretreatment of the cell wall with a protease caused considerable loosening of cell walls, but affected the pH dependence of cell wall extensibility little. These results indicate that the extensibility of the cell walls in the giant tip-growing cells of the alga is distinct from that of plant cells that exhibit "acid growth" in its dependence on environmental pH and the role of cell wall proteins.