Microtubules act in the formation of the articulated anastomosed laticifer in Dorstenia cayapia (Moraceae)

Resumen

The laticifer is a latex-secreting structure present in at least 20 000 plant species across 20 families. In the Moraceae family, the presence of laticifers is marked by the production of a milky latex throughout the entire plant. They are characterized as articulated and anastomosed, though there is little detailed information available for the genus Dorstenia. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the subcellular machinery of developing laticifers in inflorescences of D. cayapia Vell. Staminate and pistillate inflorescences of various sizes were collected and processed for ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy. The differentiation of the laticifer system is characterized by the extensive presence of a network of microtubules near the plasma membranes. Organelles such as dictyosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, plastids with plastoglobuli, and mitochondria were identified in the cytoplasm. The microtubules operate along the transverse axis of the system, enabling diffuse growth and the reorganization of lateral cell membranes and walls, allowing for the addition of nearby cells (anastomosis) in differentiating portions of the laticifer. Our data highlight the role of the cytoskeleton in the structural differentiation of the laticifer, a little explored topic in plant sciences.

 Citation: Ramos, F.P. & de Pádua Teixeira, S. 2025. Microtubules act in the formation of the articulated anastomosed laticifer in Dorstenia cayapia (Moraceae). Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. Univ. Habana 46 (Número especial 1): 117.

Trabajo presentado en el XIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica. Sesión Estructura, Fisiología y Desarrollo.