Comparative study of axopodial microtubule patterns and possible mechanisms of pattern control in the centrohelidian heliozoa Acanthocystis, Raphidiophrys and Heterophrys

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Abstract
The structural organization of the axopodial microtubule patterns in 9 centrohelidians and their special microtubule organizing center the centroplast, are described. In the larger Acanthocystis and Raphidiophrys spp., pattern formation by self-linkage and linker-positioning through graded conformational changes seems to be sufficient. Observations on various Heterophrys spp. exclude a simple self-linkage mechanism in these organisms. A linker-nucleation hypothesis is proposed to explain the formation of closed microtubule arrays with specified microtubule number. Balanced lateral growth in open microtubule arrays with unspecified microtubule number may result from linker-induced secondary nucleation.