Electron Microscope Observation on the Development of Chloroplasts of Avena and Chlorophyll-deficient Mutants

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Abstract
Development of Avena chloroplasts in normal, etiolated and chlorophyll-deficient mutant plants, were observed with an electron microscope. Normal proplastids in green plants have one or two plastid centers, from which fine double lamellae of about 80 AA in thickness protrude radially. They fuse with each other to form a sack-like structure. Later the lamellae are arranged parallel through the plastid in the form of ordered layers. As the number of lamellae in one layer increases, grana are differentiated within certain areas of these layers. Grana are composed of stacks of discs with double membranes. Each disc is connected with one stroma-lamella of about 300 AA in thickness. In etiolated and albino leaves, plastid development is stopped at certain stages of differentiation, and grana are not formed. This suggests that these structural blockings may be associated with the failure of chlorophyll synthesis. In the chlorophyll-deficient mutants, plastids develop and grana differentiate but plastid development is curtailed or abnormal.

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