Autoradiographic studies on mucilage synthesis in Chara vulgaris antheridium with the use of H-3-fucose in total darkness and light

Autoradiographic studies with H-3-fucose have shown that this precursor of polysaccharide compounds is incorporated into manubria and antheridial mucilage of Chara vulgaris both in the light and in the darkness. The dynamics of this process is lower in total darkness. The decrease in overall labelling of antheridium (manubria and mucilage) reflects secondary metabolic changes both in proliferative phase and in spermiogenesis. The pulse (2 and 5 min) incubations with the isotope confirm the intensive mucilage translocation which at later developmental stages is more dynamic than at earlier ones. It can explain previously observed decrease in manubria radioactivity at later stages after long (40 min) incubation, because PAS-positive polysaccharide synthesis is simultaneous with their fast translocation to the antheridial space. The present and previous autoradiographic and cytophotometric data taken altogether confirm the assumption about a nutritive role of mucilage filling Chara antheridium during the process of spermatogenesis.