An ultracytochemical study of nuclear bodies in meristematic plant cells (Cicer arietinum)

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Abstract
Plant cells are known to contain a variety of small spherical nuclear formations. Certain of these structures exhibit a loose fibrillar organization and have recently been shown from the examination of serial sections to represent centromeres. Such structures have so far only been observed in plant nuclei of the reticulate type. Other bodies described here appear to be true nuclear inclusions since, contrary to the centromeric formations just referred to, they are not associated with the chromatin reticulum. These spherules are often located close to the nucleolar surface and consist of a coarse filamentous component and of a pervading amorphous substance. Our various ultracytochemical observations reveal that the spherical bodies generally stain rather similarly to the fibrillar nucleolar regions. Judging from their reaction to ribonuclease and proteinase K, these nuclear inclusions contain mostly ribonucleoproteins. The presence of DNA within these bodies remains uncertain, and for this reason, it is suggested that they not be referred to as karyosomes, a term originally designating chromatin masses.