Isolation of Lamellar Bodies from Aleurone Layers of Wheat Grains

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Abstract
During the imbibition of aleurone layers of wheat grains (T. aestivum L. ''Arthur''), lamellar bodies appeared within the cytoplasm of aleurone cells. Previous morphological studies have implicated lamellar bodies as intermediates in the de novo formation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Lamellar bodies of wheat were pleomorphic. Strongly osmiophilic, they consisted most often of closely spaced whorls of paired membranes in configurations reminiscent of animal myelin. In situ, the lamellar bodies were associated with spherosomes, aleurone grains and putative nascent ER. In EM of pellets prepared from cellular homogenates, lamellar bodies were readily recognizable even when not associated with other organelles. Following GA3 treatment of aleurone layers, the numbers and size of lamellar bodies increased, and their distribution among fractions prepared by differential centrifugation changed. Upon sucrose gradient fractionation of the differential pellets, lamellar bodies were concentrated in fractions of low density. At several stages during GA3 treatment, which were equivalent to germination, the fractions containing lamellar bodies were also enriched in phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes.